


Second Chances

by jokerssmile



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-27
Updated: 2015-06-26
Packaged: 2018-04-06 09:29:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 46,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4216470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jokerssmile/pseuds/jokerssmile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when a free-spirit dressed in leather speeds into the life of a no-nonsense Sheriff?<br/>This story is AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Don't forget to review!

Blue and red lights flashed as Emma stepped on the gas to chase the motorcycle that zipped passed her down the interstate. The rider finally pulled over alongside the road and stayed on their bike as Emma approached.  
  
"Take off the helmet." Emma commanded as she opened her ticket book.  
  
The rider took off their helmet and Emma was stunned to see that the rider was a woman. A very beautiful woman.  
  
"Do you know how fast you were going?" Emma asked the woman as she tried to avoid eye contact.  
  
"I'm guessing over the speed limit." The woman said.  
  
"Driver's license and registration, please." Emma said.  
  
The woman patted her leather jacket then looked up at Emma and smiled, "Must be in my other jacket."  
  
"Yeah I'm sure." Emma said, "Name, birthdate and social."  
  
"Regina Mills. November 8th 1977 and no one has their social security number memorized."  
  
"Wait right here Ms. Mills." Emma said as she walked back to her cruiser and typed the information into her computer.  
  
Emma looked up from her car to see Regina looking back at her. The computer chimed and Emma looked at the screen to see a list of tickets.  
  
"Great." Emma said as she got out of the car and went back over to Regina.  
  
"You have 4 moving violations." Emma told her, "And that's just this month."  
  
"Those are just the ones I managed to get caught on." Regina said to her.  
  
Emma grabbed her radio, "This is Sheriff Swan I'm going to need a tow for a motorcycle on I-4 heading out of town."  
  
"You can't tow my bike." Regina said to her.  
  
Emma tapped the badge on her chest, "This says I can."  
  
"Uh, roger that Sheriff, will be there in 5 minutes." A voice said over the radio.  
  
"I'm going to need you to get off your bike and put your hands behind your back please." Emma said as she took a step back.  
  
"Already whipping out the handcuffs huh?" Regina said as drew the kickstand and got off the bike. She placed her helmet on her seat.  
  
"Turn around." Emma said to her.  
  
Regina stood in front of her and smiled.  
  
Emma stepped up to her, grabbed Regina's arm and turned her around.  
  
"Oh so forceful." Regina said as Emma read Regina her rights and handcuffed her.  
  
"Alright, let's go." Emma said.  
  
"Your place or mine?" Regina asked as Emma led her back to the cruiser.  
  
Emma opened the back door and practically shoved Regina inside before shutting the door.  
  
She got into the front seat and ran the plates on the bike.  
  
"It's not stolen." Regina said from the back seat.  
  
"Like I'm going to take your word for it." Emma said as she waited.  
  
The screen showed that the bike was registered to Regina which meant it wasn't stolen.  
  
Regina smirked when Emma looked at her in the review mirror.  
  
A flatbed tow truck pulled up and parked in front of the motorcycle. A short, gruff looking man with a beard hopped out of the truck.  
  
Emma got out of her car and met him half way.  
  
"Hey Leroy, do me a favor and just take it to impound and I'll fill out the paperwork later." Emma said to him.  
  
"You got it sister." He said.  
  
Emma got back into her car, made a U-turn and headed back to town as Regina sat quietly in the back seat.  
  
Emma parked outside the sheriff's office and got out of the car. She opened the back door, "Let's go."  
  
Regina got out of the car and Emma grabbed her arm and escorted her into the station.  
  
She walked her over to the jail cell, opened the door and gently pushed her inside before slamming the cell door shut and locking it.  
  
"What about my cuffs?" Regina asked.  
  
"Back up to the bars." Emma told her as she pulled out her handcuff key.  
  
Regina dragged a finger across the inside of Emma's wrist as she undid the cuffs.  
  
"Sit down and be quiet." Emma told her.  
  
She turned around and saw her deputy coming into the office.  
  
"David, did Leroy get the bike back to impound?" Emma asked him.  
  
"Yeah I just got the paperwork from him." He said handing it to her.  
  
"Fill it out." She told him, "I'll be back."  
  
She walked out of the office and David sat down at his desk to start on the paperwork.  
  
"She's kind of bossy huh?" Regina said as she leaned against the bars.  
  
"Are you talking to me?" David asked looking up at her.  
  
"I can see why you're just the deputy." Regina said as she went and sat down on the lumpy bed.  
  
When Emma returned David was working at his desk and Regina was sitting on the bed in her jail cell, legs crossed.  
  
"Get comfortable Ms. Mills." Emma told her as she put the brown paper bag she was carrying on her desk, "The judge is gone for the weekend."  
  
"You can't keep me locked up all weekend!" Regina said as she stood up and grabbed the bars.  
  
"I can." Emma told her, "And I will."  
  
She took off her jacket then sat at her desk. "If you're done with the paperwork you can take it to Leroy then head on home." She said to David.  
  
"Okay." He said as he got up. He put his jacket on then headed for the door.  
  
"Uh David?" Emma called after him and he looked at her.  
  
"You might want to take the paperwork with you."  
  
He smiled, "Right."  
  
He grabbed the papers from his desk then headed out the door.  
  
"How do you tolerate working with him?" Regina asked her.  
  
"He gets the job done." Emma said as she opened the bag on her desk, "Eventually."  
  
Emma pulled out a sandwich and an order of fries and set them on her desk. She saw Regina looking over at her.  
  
"You want half?" Emma asked her.  
  
"What kind of sandwich?" Regina asked.  
  
Emma looked at her, "Either you're hungry or not."  
  
Regina nodded her head and Emma grabbed a napkin and half her sandwich.  
  
"Fries too?" Regina asked and Emma dumped some of the fries on her desk and took the rest with her.  
  
She handed the sandwich and fries to Regina then went to sit back down.  
  
After Emma ate she threw her garbage away in the trash then went into another room. Regina could hear her grunting till she came through the door with a fold up bed.  
  
"You're staying here all night?" Regina asked as Emma wheeled the bed near her desk.  
  
"Yep." She said as she unfolded the bed.  
  
"Afraid I'm going to stage a jail break?" Regina asked as she watched Emma go to tall cabinet by the window.  
  
"Not sure what you're capable of." Emma said as she pulled a blanket and pillow from the cabinet then closed the doors.  
  
She put the blanket and pillow on the bed then sat down and started to take her boots off.  
  
"How long have you been sheriff here?" Regina asked as she held onto the bars, her face pressed through the bars.  
  
"Just about 5 years." Emma told her as she stood up and took her holstered gun and badge off her belt put it in her desk drawer before locking it.  
  
"You must not think I'm too much of a threat if you're hiding your gun." Regina said with a nod to Emma's desk.  
  
"I'm trained in hand to hand combat." Emma told her.  
  
Regina grinned.  
  
"Don't even think about it." Emma said.  
  
"Too late." Regina said as she eyed Emma.  
  
Emma rolled her eyes and sat behind her desk.  
  
"Aren't you glad I was your last catch of the day?" Regina asked her.  
  
"Pfft." Emma pursed her lips and waved her off, "What are you doing in Storybrooke anyways? Your record says you're from New York."  
  
"I like open coastal roads." Regina said with a shrug, "Besides this isn't my first visit to Storybrooke."  
  
Emma arched an eyebrow, "Really? I've never seen you before."  
  
"That's probably because you've never caught me speeding before." Regina said smiling.  
  
"Could be." Emma said, "I'm sure I'd remember you if I had."  
  
"I'm quite memorable." Regina told her with a grin.  
  
Emma got up and went over to the cell, "Sweet talk and flirting will not get you an early release Ms. Mills."  
  
"Oh no Sheriff, I look forward to spending the weekend with you." Regina said as she sat down on her bed and looked up at her with a smile.  
  
Emma turned around without a response and went back to her desk. She started to type on her keyboard as she squinted at her computer screen.  
  
"I'm bored." Regina whined as she got up and pressed her face between the bars.  
  
Emma looked up at her, "I can't help that." She then went back to squinting at her computer screen.  
  
After her 8th correction on a report she sighed, opened the top drawer of her desk and put on dark rimmed glasses.  
  
Regina let out wolf whistle, "Now we're talking."  
  
"Oh shut up." Emma said then looked back at her screen, a small smirk on her face.  
  
Regina looked around the office and spotted a deck of cards on David's desk.  
  
"Hey, let's play some cards." She suggested.  
  
"I'm trying to work." Emma said as her keyboard clicked and clacked.  
  
"Take a break." Regina said, "Come play with me."  
  
Emma looked at her computer screen then back at Regina who was smiling. She sighed and turned off the monitor before she got up and went over to the cupboard. She pulled out a small TV dinner tray and set it up outside of Regina's cell. She dragged her chair over then grabbed the deck of cards and sat down.  
  
She held the deck out to Regina, "You shuffle."  
  
Regina slid the cards out of their box and shuffled them, "The game is strip poker and jokers are wild!"  
  
"Wait, what?" Emma asked as Regina started to deal, "No!"  
  
Regina let out a husky laugh, "Relax Sheriff Goodbody."  
  
Regina finished dealing the cards, "Texas Hold'em."  
  
The women sat playing cards and from what Emma could tell this wasn't the first time Regina hustled someone at cards.  
  
"How the hell do you keep winning?" Emma asked as she tossed her losing hand on the table.  
  
"Lady Luck likes me better than you." Regina said as she scooped up the pile of cards.  
  
Regina looked around in her cell, "So would now be a bad time to tell you I had 2 Big Gulps on my costal journey and they are starting to weigh heavily on me?"  
  
"Huh?" Emma asked looking confused.  
  
"Did you and Deputy Dumb-Dumb switch brains?" Regina teased, "That was my subtle way of telling you I have to pee."  
  
"Right." Emma said standing up and moving the tray out of the way. She pulled out her handcuffs, "Step up."  
  
"Aw, where's the trust?" Regina asked as she held out her wrists, "And to think I was going to let you win the next few hands of Hold'em."  
  
She scoffed as she cuffed Regina then opened the cell door, "Bathroom is this way."  
  
Emma opened the door for her and Regina walked passed her and said, "Such a gentleman."  
  
Emma leaned back against the door, "The window is nailed shut so don't even think about it."  
  
"Do you know how hard it is to pull down tight leather pants?" Regina called out, "And now you've added a whole new degree of difficulty with the cuffs."  
  
Emma heard clattering, an OOF and a grumbled Son of a bitch.  
  
"Okay, I'm coming in." Emma said as she opened the door. She looked around and saw that the trash can was tipped over, everything that was on the sink was now scattered on the floor and there stood Regina in the middle of it all, her pants unbutton and half way down her ass.  
  
"Jesus, you're like a tornado." Emma said as she went to Regina and uncuffed her.  
  
"A sexy tornado though right?" Regina said as she wiggled her eyebrows at Emma.  
  
Emma rolled her eyes. "Just go pee." She said as she walked out of the bathroom and shut the door behind her.  
  
After a few minutes Regina came out of the bathroom and Emma walked her back over and into her cell.  
  
They sat playing cards for another hour before Emma got tired of losing. She got up and put the card table away and returned the deck to David's desk before grabbing her chair to take back to her desk.  
  
"You know I could really go for something sweet." Regina said and Emma gave her a look.  
  
"Hey, that's not me flirting." Regina said hands up, "I'm talking about maybe a donut or something, just anything sweet."  
  
"A donut?" Emma asked squinting her eyes, "Is that supposed to be a cop joke? You gonna start craving bacon too?"  
  
Regina laughed, "My, you're touchy."  
  
She got up and walked over to the bars, "It could be a candy bar for all I care."  
  
Emma opened the second drawer of her desk, grabbed something then got up and walked over to Regina, "Here." She said and held out a candy bar.  
  
"Butterfinger huh?" Regina said with a smile as she took the candy bar, "That speaks volumes."  
  
Emma snatched the candy bar back from her, "Stop making everything sexual."  
  
"What'd I say?" Regina asked, "Maybe you should get your mind out of my pants-I mean gutter."  
  
Emma let out of frustrated sigh, "That's it, you're not getting this now."  
  
She turned and started to walk away.  
  
"Wait." Regina said, face pressed between the bars, an arm reaching out, "I'll be good I promise."  
  
"I don't think you're capable of good." Emma told her as she stood with her arms folded across her chest.  
  
"For a candy bar I'll do my best." Regina said giving her the biggest smile.  
  
Emma eyed her, then gave in and handed her the candy bar.  
  
"Thanks." Regina said as she torn into the wrapper, "Do you want half?"  
  
"No, thank you." She said as she sat behind her desk, "Now eat your candy bar because it's lights out soon."  
  
Regina took a bite of the candy bar and looked at the clock, "But it's only 10:32."  
  
"And I like my sleep." Emma told her as she went back to typing on her keyboard.  
  
"How about you and I hit that tavern on Huntsman Road, get a couple of drinks and get to know each other?" Regina suggested.  
  
Emma scoffed as she looked up, "You're in jail for an obscene amount of unpaid tickets and you want me to let you out so we can get drunk together?"  
  
"No one said anything about getting drunk. But I like the way you think." Regina said with a wink.  
  
Emma let out an exasperated breath, "Are you done with your candy bar?"  
  
Regina nodded.  
  
"Good." Emma said as she turned off her computer then got up, "Go to bed now." She said as she turned off the office lights only leaving her desk lamp on.  
  
Emma laid down on her cot and closed her eyes.  
  
"Sheriff?"  
  
"What?" Emma muttered.  
  
"I have to pee again." Regina whispered quietly.


	2. Chapter 2

Regina was woken by the loud noise of Emma letting out a stream of obscenities that would make a sailor blush.

She sat up and watched as Emma sucked on the knuckle of her thumb then kicked the folded up bed, "Piece of shit." She mumbled.

Regina laughed and Emma looked over at her, taking her thumb away from her mouth.

"Morning." Regina said with a smile.

"Yeah." Emma said, "Morning."

"So, lover's quarrel?" Regina asked nodding to the folded up bed.

"Ha-Ha." Emma said, "No, the stupid thing has a hard time doing what it's told, so I had to use brute force and I injured myself in the process."

"Oh brute force huh?" Regina smirked.

"Do you have an off button?" Emma asked as she pushed the bed out of the way.

"Are you asking me what turns me off?"

Before Emma could answer David the Deputy came in with a goofy smile on his face.

"It's raining." He said as he took off his yellow rain poncho.

"Really?" Regina asked, "You mean that big yellow poncho isn't your special cape?

Emma stifled a laugh then glared at Regina before she looked back at David, "Keep an eye on her, listen for calls. I'm going to grab some breakfast."

"Oh bring me a maple donut and a side of bacon, please Sheriff!" Regina called after Emma as she grabbed her jacket and headed out the door.

"That's a very strange breakfast order." David said as he sat down at his desk.

"Well you're a very strange deputy." Regina said to him.

Emma went into Granny's diner and stood at the counter.

A tall gorgeous brunette came out from the kitchen and placed a brown paper bag on the counter.

"Fried egg and cheese sandwich, hash browns and a side of bacon." The waitress said.

"Thanks Ruby." Emma said, "But can you double the order this time?"

Ruby raised an eyebrow.

"I have a prisoner that's stuck here over the weekend and I can't have her starve before the judge can see her."

"Sure thing." Ruby said before going back into the kitchen.

"Good morning Sheriff."

Emma turned around to see Mulan, the tavern's bartender.

"Morning." Emma said then turned back around.

"Suddenly got real chilly in here." Mulan muttered as she sat at the counter.

Ruby came out of the kitchen with another brown bag and placed it in front of Emma.

"Thanks Ruby." Emma said as she paid then grabbed the two bags.

"You have a good day Sheriff." Mulan called out.

Emma ignored her and headed back out into the rain.

When Emma got back to the station David was just getting off the phone.

"What's up?" She asked putting the bags down on her desk.

"Minor car accident on the toll bridge." David told her.

"People go crazy when it rains." Emma said as she grabbed her badge and gun from her desk drawer.

"Don't worry about it." He said to her, "I got it covered."

"You sure?" She asked him.

"Yeah, no problem." He told her as he slipped on his yellow poncho before leaving.

"Alone at last." Regina said as she leaned against the bars of her cell.

Emma grabbed one of the bags from her desk and took it over to her, "Here."

Regina took it and placed it on her bed before returning to the bars, "You seem grumpier than usual."

"Just eat your breakfast." Emma said as she sat down at her desk and pulled her food from her bag.

"Did you run into an ex-boyfriend?" Regina asked then smiled, "Or was it an ex-girlfriend?"

Regina gasped a little, "Was it both? Is your ex-boyfriend dating your ex-girlfriend?"

"Will you please shut up!?"

"Why won't you tell me?" Regina asked.

"Because you're not here to bond with me over breakfast. You are a prisoner in my custody till Monday morning." Emma told her, "And I'm not trying to make friends."

"Well that's clear to see." Regina said as she went over to her bed and sat down. She opened the bag and quietly ate her breakfast.

The phone rang just as Emma took her last sip of coffee.

"Sheriff Swan." Emma said then listened for a moment before saying, "Be right there."

Emma stood up, leaving her breakfast on her desk and put on her jacket.

"Why do people get drunk so early in the god damn morning?" She muttered to herself.

She walked over to Regina's cell, "Behave yourself while I'm gone."

"What am I going to do?" Regina asked her, "Pick the lock and leave you a note saying, 'Catch me if you can'?"

Emma gave it a thought.

"Relax, I'm not going anywhere." Regina told her.

Emma headed out to the tavern near the woods called The Rusty Screw.

She got out of her car, slammed her door and headed for the tavern.

Emma walked in and loud music blared in her ears as she watched two women fighting in the middle of the room.

The women both had death grips on each other's hair and they were screaming and kicking at each other.

Emma rushed over, "Hey! Knock that shit off!"

When that didn't work Emma took out her baton and cracked one woman behind her leg and buckled her knee. She did the same to the other woman and they let each other go as they fell to the floor.

One woman tried to get up.

Emma pointed her baton at her, "Don't even try it."

"Turn the music off!" She yelled and someone unplugged the jukebox.

She grabbed her radio, "David, I'm going to need a little help out at The Rusty Screw."

"Roger dodger." He said happily over the radio.

"David."

"Sorry." He said, "I'll be there soon."

Emma handcuffed both women and stuck them in separate booths before going over to Mulan who was behind the bar, "What the hell are you doing serving alcohol at 9am?"

"Hey, they came in here shitfaced." Mulan said, "Look around, no one here's been served a drink."

Emma looked around at the 4 other people sitting in the tavern. Three were eating breakfast and an old man was hunched over with a cup of coffee.

"Why do I have to come out here almost every day to tame the animals you serve?" Emma asked her.

"Fuck if I know." Mulan said with a shrug, "Maybe you just miss seeing my pretty face."

"Oh yeah that's it I'm sure." Emma said sarcastically as she eyed the two women. One had passed out and the other was slouched over and seemed to be drooling on the table.

"Aurora says hello."

Emma whipped her head around and glared at Mulan.

Fire in her eyes, she clenched her jaw.

"Hey boss." David interrupted their tense moment.

Emma broke her stare and looked at David, "Take Tweedledee back to lock up. I'll get Tweedledum."

David headed over to the booths then stopped and turned around. Before he could say anything Emma said, "The blonde, take the blonde."

Emma turned back to Mulan and was going to say something when Tweedledum threw up all over the tavern floor.

Emma smirked as she hauled the woman up to her feet, "Looks like you got a mess to clean up." She said to Mulan as she practically dragged the woman out of the tavern.

When Emma got back to the station she found David at his desk doing paperwork and the blonde passed out on the floor of the cell next to the one Regina was in.

Emma opened Regina's cell door and set the drunk brunette down on the bed. She leaned to one side and Emma pushed her back the other way so she fell onto the bed rather than the floor.

"Enjoy your roommate." Emma said as she stepped out of the cell and locked the door.

"She smells." Regina said crinkling her nose.

"Well we all can't smell like leather and lavender." Emma said to her as she sat down at her desk.

"You know what I smell like?" Regina asked with a smile, "I don't know if that's cute or creepy."

Ignoring Regina, Emma turned to David, "What happened with the accident?"

"Dr. Hopper lost control in the rain and crashed into the Storybrooke sign." David told her, "He's okay, just a gash on his forehead. I had him taken to the hospital though to get checked out."

"Anyone else injured?" Emma asked.

"Nope."

"Good." Emma said as she looked at the paper work.

"Uh, I think your girl's gonna blow." Regina said pointing to the woman on the cot who was gagging.

Emma grabbed her trash can and hurried to open the cell. She sat the woman up but didn't move fast enough to put the can in front of her and the woman hurled all over Emma's shoes.

"Son of a bitch!" Emma yelled as she jumped back, letting the woman fall back onto the bed.

She looked down at her shoes and the mess, "I should kill you Belle." Emma muttered as she carefully stepped out of the cell and slowly kicked her shoes off.

"Sorry Emma." Belle muttered.

"Hey, you better get this cleaned up before I blow chunks." Regina mumbled through the hand she used to cover her nose and mouth.

"David, will you please clean this up?" Emma asked as she took her shoes into the bathroom and rinsed them off.

"Sure thing." David said then got up and went to the utility closet and got out a mop and bucket.

Emma left her shoes in the bathroom then padded out to the cupboard and grabbed the spare pair she kept there.

"You keep shoes at work?" Regina asked Emma as David finished mopping the floor.

Emma sat down to put them on, "It's not the first time I've been puked on."

She snorted, "Hell it's not even the first time Belle's puked on me."

David locked Regina's cell door then went to clean out the bucket and mop.

"So you know these women?" Regina asked Emma as she looked from Belle to the blonde still passed out on the floor.

"Yes, I do." Emma said, "You've met Belle and the one on the floor is Ashley."

"Lovely girls I see." Regina said as she stood in the corner of her cell.

"They normally are when they aren't out getting drunk together." Emma told her.

Ashley moaned on the floor and Belle burped in her sleep.

"Don't worry you'll only have to share your cell for a few hours till Belle sobers up." Emma told Regina.

"As long as she doesn't throw up again I think I'll be okay."

By lunch time Belle and Ashley had sobered up so David took them home.

Emma finished typing something into her computer before standing up and grabbing her keys.

"I'm going to grab lunch." Emma told Regina who was sitting on her bed thumbing through an old magazine David had lent her to read.

"I'll be right here." Regina said not looking up.

Emma was making mental notes for two reports as she walked and wasn't paying much attention as she opened the door to the diner and bumped right into someone.

"Hey!" She yelled then saw who it was.

"Sorry Emma."

"Uh—No I'm sorry." Emma didn't know what else to say to the woman. She avoided eye contact as she stepped aside and let Aurora pass before going into the diner.

She could feel everyone's eyes on her and she didn't like it.

She went to the counter and Ruby already had her lunch ready, order doubled of course. She grabbed the bag, told Ruby to put it on her tab and headed quickly out the door.

David was just sitting down at his desk when Emma came back into the station.

"Was that Aurora I saw you bump into?" David asked as Emma dug out the sandwich and fries she'd ordered for Regina.

"Man, that must have been something." David said as he sat down, "Running into her after everything that happened."

"Who's Aurora?" Regina asked, "What happened?"

"No one." Emma said handing Regina her food through the bars, "And nothing."

David chuckled a little, "Well I wouldn't call it nothing when your girlfriend leaves you for your deputy."

"Oh, former deputy." David corrected himself, "Seeing how you fired her and she's now working at The Rusty Screw."

Emma glared at him, "David, how about you shut up?"

"But—" He looked confused, "I was just saying-"

"Shut up." She said more sternly and he nodded and went back to typing up a report.

Satisfied that David would keep his mouth shut Emma went back to eating lunch and just took a big bite of her sandwich when Regina chimed in.

"Soooo, girlfriend huh?" She asked and Emma choked.

"Whoa, are you okay?" David asked getting up, Emma waved him away and took a sip of her soda to stop her coughing.

"I'm fine." She said to David, her voice hoarse. She looked at Regina, "And it's none of your business."

"I just never would have pegged you for the girlfriend type." Regina said.

"Sorry I don't fit into whatever stereotype you have in your head." Emma said then took another sip of her soda.

Regina sat down on her bed, "You don't know what I have going on in my head when it comes to you."

Emma grabbed the rest of her lunch and stood up, "And I don't want to."

She walked out and went into another office area to eat her lunch in peace.

"Hey Deputy Do Nothing." Regina called out.

"Are you talking to me?" David asked looking up from his computer.

Regina sighed, "Yeah I'm talking to you."

"What?" He asked.

"Who was her deputy?" Regina asked, "And what exactly happened?"

"I don't think she'd like me telling you." David said.

"It'll be our little secret."

Emma sat in the next room fuming mad. Just thinking about Aurora and Mulan pissed her off so bad she wanted to punch something or someone. It was bad enough she had to see and deal with Mulan on almost a daily basis because of her tavern but now she had to bump into Aurora, someone she'd done her best to avoid for the last 2 months.

Even the thought of that pissed her off, why the hell was she the one avoiding people? She's not the one that cheated. She wasn't the one that betrayed her girlfriend.

And Mulan, her former best friend and deputy loved to rub it in Emma's face that somehow she'd won and Aurora was hers.

Who the hell brags about ruining someone else's relationship?

Emma let out a frustrated growl as she threw her half empty soda can across the room.

David looked around to make sure it was just the two of them then got up and went over to Regina's cell.

"Emma and Mulan were really good friends, almost the best I guess you could say." David said in a quiet tone, "That is until Aurora came into their lives."

"We don't get many visitors to Storybrooke but Aurora came to visit her aunt or cousin or someone here in town over the summer." David explained, "And while visiting her path crossed with both Mulan and Emma."

"Both women pursued Aurora who was clearly interested in them." David told her.

"And?" Regina asked getting impatient.

"Eventually they asked Aurora to choose and she chose Emma." David told her.

"But she really didn't choose did she?" Regina asked.

"What do you mean?"

"She was seeing them both the whole time." Regina said.

"How'd you know?" David asked surprised.

"Experience." Regina said to him and he wondered what that meant.

"So anyways, after a few months of dating Emma caught them one day." David told her, "Here at the station going at it like bunnies on the bed."

"Which bed?" Regina asked, "Not this bed?!"

She stood up quickly, "Gross."

"Hey the sheets have been washed." David told her.

"So what happened next?" Regina asked.

"Emma—." David started to say.

"I beat the crap out of Mulan and left her locked up for 2 days while I threw all of Aurora's shit out of my house."

David turned around and was horrified to see Emma standing there.

"I'm sorry." David said, "She's very persuasive."

"Go home David." Emma told him as she walked over to Regina's cell, "I'll see you Monday."

He didn't say another word as he grabbed his things and practically ran out the door.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Emma asked Regina, "What gives you any right to hear about my life?"

"Hey, don't take your anger out on me." Regina told her, "I'm not the one that cheated on you."

Emma grabbed the front of Regina's leather jacket and yanked her forward, pulling her against the bars.

Emma growled then pushed Regina back and away from her. She turned around, "Just stay out of my business."

She stormed out of the office and stepped out into the rain. She let out a scream then closed her eyes and let the rain pelt her face.

She took a moment then let out a heavy sigh before going back into the office.

"Look I'm sorry I shouldn't have lost my cool." Emma said as she took off her jacket then hung it up.

She looked over at Regina's cell, "God damn it!"

The cell door was open and Regina was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Emma rushed to the back door and found it open. She headed back to the main office and checked her jacket pockets for her keys. They were gone.

She opened her desk drawer and grabbed her spare keys to her cruiser and took off out the door.

In the car she called Leroy and told him to be on the look-out for Regina, who was more than likely heading over to his yard to get her bike.

She drove around for almost 30 minutes before she swore under her breath and realized just where Regina went.

Emma slammed on her brakes and skidded to a halt outside The Rusty Screw. She got out of her car, baton drawn and headed into the bar.

The music blared as Emma stood at the doorway and looked around for the dark haired woman in leather. She spotted Regina sitting at the bar, a smile on her face as she chewed on a plastic stir stick. Mulan was behind the bar leaning in to hear whatever Regina was trying to say. Regina's hand played with the tie around Mulan's neck.

Emma stormed over to the bar and without a word, used her baton to swipe the beer bottle off the bar causing it to crash at Mulan's feet.

"HEY!" She yelled as she jumped back.

"Hey nothing asshole." Emma said to her then looked at Regina, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Regina took the stir stick out of her mouth and with a calm look on her face turned to Emma, "I'm having a beer. Care to join me?"

Emma grabbed Regina by the arm and dragged her from the bar stool.

"You can't just come in here and rough up my customers!" Mulan yelled after Emma who was hauling Regina to the door.

"Take it up with the sheriff!" Emma yelled over her shoulder before she yanked the door open.

She pushed Regina up against her cruiser, keeping a hand pressed to the middle of her back. She rifled through Regina's pockets till she found her keys and pocketed them.

"Hands behind your back now!"

Regina complied, putting her hands slowly behind her back, "Who knew you liked it so rough?"

"Shut up!" Emma said, "I'm so sick of you."

Regina hissed when Emma tightened the handcuffs around her wrists.

She opened the back door, shoved Regina in and slammed the door shut before she got in behind the wheel, started the car and peeled out of the parking lot.

"You really don't know how to have fun do you?" Regina asked from the back seat.

"Fun? You think stealing my keys and breaking out of jail is fun?" Emma asked, "You think having a beer and flirting with my ex's girlfriend is fun?"

"That's who your ex is dating?" Regina asked surprised, "Damn she's hot."

Emma glared at her through the review mirror before taking a sharp turn that flung Regina against the door with a loud thud.

Back at the station Emma grabbed Regina by the arm and pulled her from the cruiser. She brought her inside, pushed her into the cell and slammed the door shut.

"What about my cuffs?" Regina asked.

"Cuffs are staying on." Emma told her.

Regina opened her mouth to protest but Emma waved her quiet, "The cuffs are staying on."

Regina sat down with a huff on her bed.

Emma sat behind her desk and checked to make sure all her keys were on her keychain. She put the keys in her pocket then starting typing on her keyboard.

"I can see why you'd be pissed off." Regina said, "I mean I haven't seen this Aurora person but my guess is she's gorgeous too."

Emma ignored her as she continued to type.

"So what was it huh? What caused her to have her cake and well—" Regina smirked, "Eat it too."

"Were you too committed to the job and didn't make time for her?" Regina asked then shook her head, "Nah I'm guessing Mulan was more fun than you, she took risks, made life an adventure and your girlfriend just couldn't get enough of that."

Emma clenched her jaw, she'd stopped typing.

"I'm guessing Mulan's the bad girl, the one you don't really want to get mixed up with and that's what was so alluring." Regina said, "And I get it, oh trust me I get it."

"I spent half an hour with Mulan and a day and a half with you and I can tell you this much, she knows how to have a good time." Regina said as she stood up, her face between the bars, "I bet the sex is wild too, just mind blowing and amazing!"

"SHUT UP!" Emma yelled as she slammed her hand on her desk and stood up, "JUST SHUT UP!"

Emma went over to Regina and got into her face, "You don't get to sit there and analyze my life for your own fucking amusement!"

"Whoa! Okay easy now tiger." Regina said backing away from the bars.

Emma stood staring at her through the bars, trying to calm herself.

She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath before letting it out. She opened her eyes, "Just so you know, you added another charge to the list."

"What?" Regina asked, "Oh come on, I was just having a little fun!"

"And tomorrow we'll see what that little bit of fun cost you." Emma said as she went and sat down at her desk.

They sat in silence for almost an hour before Regina stood up, "I'm hungry."

"Didn't get your fill of bar nuts?" Emma asked not looking away from her computer screen.

"Do you know how many germs live in a bowl of mixed nuts at a bar?" Regina asked as she made a face.

Emma hadn't given it much thought but now it was all she was thinking about.

"I'm hungry." Regina repeated.

Emma sighed then got up and went over to her cell, "Come here."

Regina got up and turned around as Emma unlocked one of her cuffs and she turned around.

"Thanks." Regina said but the gratitude was short lived when Emma closed the cuff around one of the bars.

She smiled smugly at her, "I'll be back with dinner in a bit."

She could feel Regina glaring at her as she walked out of the office.

Emma sat at the counter at Granny's and waited for her order.

"How's the jailbird?"

Emma sighed and turned to see Mulan.

"I hope you didn't rough her up too much." Mulan said as she sat down next to her, "How'd you know she was at my place anyways?"

Emma got up and scooted down a seat, "Because that's where all the delinquents end up eventually."

"I think you mean fun people." Mulan said with a smile then got up and went to sit down in a booth by herself.

Ruby came out of the kitchen with a big brown bag and placed it on the counter.

"If I punch her will I have to arrest myself?" Emma asked Ruby as she handed her some money.

She grabbed her bag and left before Ruby could answer her.

Emma set the bag down on her desk and opened it. She pulled out a cheeseburger, fries and a soda before going over to Regina's cell and holding the food out for her.

"Do I have to eat chained up?" Regina asked.

Emma gave it a quick thought before taking out her keys and unlocking the cuffs, freeing Regina so she could take her food and sit on her bed.

She sat back down at her desk to eat.

Before biting into her hamburger she looked up at Regina, "And I can be fun. You just haven't seen me off the job."

Regina looked over at her, "Is that an invitation?"

Emma smirked then coughed to hide the smirk, "Eat your food."

* * *

Regina crumbled up her burger wrapper then let out a big burp. "Whew, that was good."

"You're a pig." Emma said as she threw her trash in the garbage.

"I've been called worse." Regina said as she leaned against the bars, "So how about another card game?"

"How about you sit quietly and let me finish my reports?"

"What reports? Nothing happened today." Regina said, "My escape was the highlight of your day, admit it."

Emma looked at her computer screen and sighed when she realized Regina was right.

She stood up, "Okay but not Texas Hold'em."

Regina smiled and Emma got out the TV tray and cards.

An hour into their card game they were interrupted with a call. Emma answered the phone, said 'Uh-huh' about 4 times before hanging up. She opened her desk drawer and grabbed her gun and badge.

"Duty calls." Emma said to Regina then patted herself down to make sure she had her keys.

"I think you had someone call in because you were tired of losing." Regina said with a smile.

"Oh yeah, I have people call in with made up crimes just so I don't lose to a leather clad biker who cheats at cards." Emma said as she grabbed her jacket and put it on.

"Hey! I don't cheat at cards!" Regina called after her then added more quietly, "Well not all the time."

"Try not to escape again!" Emma said just as she shut the door behind her.

An hour and a half later Emma returned to the station, took her jacket off and hung it up.

"Everything okay?" Regina asked as Emma took her gun and badge off.

"Yeah, just a small destruction of property call." Emma said and Regina raised an eyebrow.

"A kid I know through an after-school program I help with was caught at the church with a window broken." Emma told her.

"Why didn't you arrest him?" Regina asked.

"He's a good kid just doesn't really have direction right now." Emma said, "Plus I don't think he broke the window. I think he got left behind to take the blame."

Regina tilted her head and looked at Emma.

"What?" Emma asked.

"You help at an after school program?" Regina asked, "Like for trouble kids?"

"Everyone needs a little guidance."

"Are you trying for Sainthood?" Regina asked.

"Some of these kids need a little help, a place to go so they don't get into trouble." Emma told her.

"Lot of good it did for the kid who got caught breaking a window." Regina said.

"Forget it." Emma sighed, "You wouldn't understand."

Emma picked up the cards and folded up the TV tray, "You should get some rest. You have an early day tomorrow."

"I have to pee." Regina said and Emma eyeballed her.

"What? I do!"

Emma opened her cell and led her to the bathroom, she opened the door and Regina went in.

She stood and waited for Emma to shut the door.

"Door stays open." Emma told her.

"Fine by me." Regina said as she pulled down her pants and underwear, "I've peed in front of 20 people at an outdoor concert before. This is nothing."

After Regina was locked back in her cell Emma grabbed her roll-away bed and set it up.

She took off her shoes then turned off the lights before lying down in her bed.

"Night Sheriff."

"Night Ms. Mills."

* * *

Emma was jolted awake by her Deputy who came into the station and tripped over the garbage can.

"Jesus David!" Emma yelled as she sat up on the side of her bed.

"Sorry Sheriff." He said with a shy smile, "I just thought I should be here early to man the calls while you take the prisoner to court."

"The prisoner has a name." Regina said as she stood up and put on her jacket.

David looked over at her then back at Emma before going to sit down at his desk.

Emma put her shoes on, buckled her belt then put her bed away. She clipped her gun and badge onto her belt then went to Regina's cell and opened the door.

"Wrists." Emma said and Regina held out her wrists for Emma to put the cuffs on.

"Let's go." Emma said as she grabbed Regina's paperwork from her desk and led Regina to her cruiser.

It was a short drive to the court house which was housed in the Town Hall. Emma walked Regina up the long hallway to court room 12. There were only a few other people sitting in the court room as Regina and Emma took a seat in the first row.

A bailiff soon came by and took the file Emma was holding and put it on the judge's bench.

The judge came out of his chambers and made his way to his seat. He was an older gentleman who wore reading glasses and was slightly on the heavy side.

He seemed like a no nonsense kind of judge as two of the 4 people he saw left crying from the court room.

"Moving on." He said as he opened up the next file. He looked up, taking his reading glasses off, "Regina? Regina Mills?"

"Yes, Your Honor, I'm Regina Mills." She said standing before him, giving him a look as if to say, please don't say another word.

The judge gave a small nod, put on his glasses and cleared his throat, "Yes well, let's get this started."

"My goodness." He said as he looked through her file, "8 tickets in all. Four for speeding, 1 for reckless endangerment, 2 for failing to stop at a stop sign and 1 for drag racing?"

He flipped the page, "And escaping police custody?"

He looked down at her.

"That one wasn't entirely my fault." Regina said, "I wouldn't have escaped if Sheriff Swan hadn't allowed her pockets to be picked so easily." Regina said, "I mean honestly if this is the best and brightest you have defending your town then I pity it."

Emma glared at her, and then looked at the judge, "Can I shoot her please?"

"Not today Sheriff Swan." He said, "We just had the carpets cleaned."

"So Ms. Mills, what do you have to say for yourself?" The judge asked.

Regina squinted to read the name plate in front of him, "Howard Smoot. May I call you Howard?"

"No." He said sternly.

"Okay." Regina said, "I don't have anything to say in my defense."

"I didn't think you would." Judge Smoot said, "10 hours community service and you pay $8,000 in fines."

"$8000! Are you nuts?" Regina asked.

"Hey." Emma said grabbing her by the arm to quiet her, "You can't talk to him like that."

"So you don't want to pay huh?" Smoot asked, "Okay that's fine."

"Free to go then?" Regina asked with a smile.

"Hardly." He said, "Your other option is 120 days of community service and you surrender your license."

"So either I pay or you keep me hostage in this town?" Regina asked him.

"You know the saying about committing a crime Ms. Mills." He said to her.

"Yes, I do." Regina said to him hoping he wouldn't say it.

"So what will it be?" He asked her.

Regina thought about it for a moment then let out a sigh, "I won't pay the 8 grand."

"Community service it is." He said with a smile.

"Now let's get down to it." He said, "Sheriff Swan, I understand you are always in need of volunteers for the after-school program you run."

"Wait what?" Emma asked, "No, we don't need any more volunteers."

"Ms. Mills will be helping you out 4 days a week at the school." He said ignoring Emma, "Monday and Tuesday will be spent at the after school program for 2 hours. Wednesdays and Thursdays will be spent at the preschool with Ms. Blanchard for 3 hours."

"Your Honor, I really don't think that's a good—" Emma started to say but Smoot banged his gavel to silence her.

"Fridays and Saturdays, she'll spend 3 hours helping you at the station. Sundays are her down time." He said then looked at Regina, "You will also be helping Mrs. Lucas at her diner in the morning during the weekdays doing whatever she needs. This will pay for your room and meals."

"Why does she have to spend all her time with me?" Emma asked the judge.

"Because I want her in your capable and responsible hands." Smoot said, "And seeing as I hold the little hammer I can do what I want."

He then looked at Regina, "Trust me when I tell you this, if you flee town before your time is up you will be tracked down. If you have to be tracked down there won't be a fine or community service I will throw your bony little ass in jail."

"Do you understand?" He asked her.

"Yes." Regina said quietly.

"Good." He said, "Now, Mrs. Lucas has an Inn here in town and she will board you for the time you are here."

He pointed his gavel at her, "Do not give her any trouble or I will be forced to intervene and trust me when I say, you don't want that."

"I want a report at the end of every week Sheriff." He said to Emma.

"Yes Your Honor."

"Excellent." He said then pounded his gavel.

The bailiff gave Emma back Regina's file and the judge's sentence before Emma led Regina back out to the cruiser.

"I need my clothes." Regina said from the backseat of the car.

"Huh?" Emma asked as she drove down Main Street.

"I packed clothes for my trip but they were with my bike." Regina told her.

"So we'll swing by the tow yard and get them." Emma said as she drove.

Emma talked with Leroy for a bit before she grabbed two satchels off of Regina's bike and put them in the trunk of her cruiser.

She then drove Regina to the Inn and let her out of the backseat. She uncuffed her then opened the trunk and handed her the satchels.

"Let's go." Emma said as they went up the walkway to the Inn.

A small bell tinkled above the door as they went in. Emma smiled at the gray haired lady behind the check in counter.

"This your criminal?" The woman asked Emma as she glared at Regina.

"Yeah." Emma said, "And she promised not to cause any problems for you."

"Better not." Mrs. Lucas said then handed Emma a key. "Upstairs to the left, room 2."

"Thanks Granny." Emma said as she led Regina upstairs.

"Get settled, take a shower, go eat something and I'll be back at 1pm." Emma told her.

"Sure." Regina said and Emma left.

Regina looked around her room then sat down on the bed with a sigh.

"I've officially checked into hell." She said quietly to herself.


	4. Chapter 4

"You're early." Regina said as she opened the door to see Emma standing there.

"2 minutes." Emma said.

"Still early." Regina said as she went back into her room to grab her jacket.

"Let's go." Emma said.

She drove them to the school and parked. They headed into the school and went into the small gym. Regina sat down on the bleachers as Emma opened up a closet and pulled out a cart filled with red rubber balls.

"So what do you have planned for today?" Regina asked.

"Dodge ball. Emma said to her.

"That's barbaric."

"The kids like it." Emma told her, "Well not the kids with glasses but the rest of them do."

"Why are the kids getting out so early?" Regina asked.

"Half-day today for teacher meetings." Emma told her, "School's normally out at 3."

The bell rang and Regina and Emma waited and soon the gym door opened and kids started filing in.

It was a small group, only 15 kids but that meant it was 15 less kids out on the streets running wild.

"Okay, so we have a new helper today." Emma said addressing the kids, "This is Regina Mills and she's going to be here with us for a while."

The kids looked over at Regina and she gave them a small wave.

"Okay, kids, grab a ball and let's play some dodge ball." Emma said to them.

"Or." Regina said as she stepped up, "We could play something else, something a little less violent."

"What are you doing?" Emma asked her.

"Giving them options." Regina said to her then looked at the kids, "What do you guys want to play?"

Kids shouted out suggestions.

"Okay I heard at least 4 votes for jump rope, 8 for basketball, 2 for Frisbee and 1 for reading." Regina said taking the census.

Regina looked at Emma, "Can we do it all?"

"You want to do everything?"

"Let the kids do what they want." Regina asked, "They're being active and doing what they want so who cares?"

"Okay." Emma said with a shrug then told Regina, "Go to the closet there, get the jump ropes, basketball and Frisbee."

"Those wanting to play basketball, use half the court." Emma told the kids and the group moved to half court taking the basketball from Regina.

"Jump-ropers, stay on the other half of the court and watch out for basketballs." Emma directed.

Regina passed them a long jump rope.

"Frisbee players, stay by the bleachers." Emma told them, "And remember it's a Frisbee, not a ninja star."

Regina tossed out a couple of Frisbees.

"And well, Henry, you can sit over there and read if that's what you really want to do." Emma told the young boy with brown hair and a shy smile.

"Okay." He said with a shrug and climbed to the top of the bleachers and pulled a book out of his backpack.

After an hour Emma blew the whistle she had around her neck and called the kids in, "Okay you all know what happens now."

All the kids groaned.

"Yeah I know. But study hall is a part of the program so let's clean up then head to the class room." She told them.

They put away the equipment before Emma led the group to an empty class room and they all sat down.

"Get out your homework and get started." Emma told them, "If you need any help just ask Regina or myself."

Regina leaned over to her, "It's been a few years since I've done homework."

"Just think of it as a refresher course then." Emma told her.

"So what'd you do?" Henry asked.

"What?" Regina asked as she flipped the page in his math book. She realized it was the same boy that sat reading by himself.

"We haven't had a new volunteer at the program in 2 years." He said, "Which means you did something to tick someone off and got stuck with us."

"I got into trouble but that's nothing you need to be concerned about." Regina told him as she placed his book down in front of him, "Let's see if we can solve some equations or whatever the hell this is."

"So why are you here?" Regina asked Henry after working on few problems.

"My foster parent wants me to interact with more kids my age." Henry told her.

"You live in a foster home?" Regina asked.

"It's no big deal." He told her, "She's nice and brings pie home almost every night."

Regina was just about to ask Henry more questions when Emma stood up, "Okay kids, that's it for the day. Get home safe and we'll see you tomorrow."

Emma didn't even get out the word tomorrow before all the kids were up and clamoring for the door.

"So you survived your first day." Emma said to Regina as they walked down the hall.

"Yep." Regina said, "Want to go celebrate with me?"

Emma gave her a look, "You'll just use any excuse to drink huh?"

"I don't need to make up an excuse." Regina told her.

"Well, sorry but you'll have to drink alone." Emma said, "I have plans."

"Oh? Got a hot date or something?" Regina asked as they got into Emma's Volkswagen Beetle.

Emma ignored her as she shifted The Bug into gear and took off out of the parking lot.

After Emma dropped Regina off at the Inn she headed over to Granny's diner and found a booth near the back.

Emma ordered a coke and waited.

Soon the diner door opened and in walked Mrs. Lucas, or Granny as everyone likes to call her and Henry.

Henry spotted her and came to sit down across from her.

"Hey." She said to him.

"Hey."

"So are we going to talk about Sunday night?" Emma asked him.

He shrugged his slender shoulders.

"Henry, come on. I know you're a good kid." Emma told him, "Why are you hanging out with Felix and Peter?"

"They like me." Henry told her.

"Those boys are nothing but trouble makers and they will get you into worse trouble than just a broken window if you keep hanging out with them."

He had his head down, pretending to look at the menu, a menu that she knew he'd already memorized.

"Hey." She said to him but he didn't look up.

She reached across the table, a finger under his chin she raised his head, "You know I'm only trying to look out for you Henry. I don't want anything bad happening to you."

He looked into her eyes, "I know." He said quietly.

She sat back, "Good."

They sat quietly as Ruby came to take their orders.

"I like the new volunteer." Henry said as he took a sip of his coke.

"Do you now?" Emma asked with a smirk.

"She's nice and she smells like flowers." Henry told her.

"Eh, she's okay." Emma said with a half shrug as she chewed on the straw that was in her coke.

Meanwhile Regina had taken a cab out to The Rusty Screw and was finishing her 3rd shot when Mulan came back around and poured her another.

"I didn't order another one." Regina said to her.

"Compliments from the no-neck guy in the corner wearing the hunter hat and flannel jacket." Mulan said with a nod.

Regina turned around and saw a beefed up man with a crooked smile looking at her. He winked and Regina's gag reflex was triggered, "Oh god."

She turned around and pushed the shot glass towards Mulan, "Tell him thanks but no thanks."

Regina grabbed her beer and took a big swig off it then turned around and stared at the people dancing to some upbeat song blaring from the juke box.

She noticed a blonde dancing with her eyes closed and a smile on her face.

Regina took another sip of her beer before getting up and heading over to the blonde.

"Hey." She said and the woman opened her eyes and smiled at Regina.

"Hey." The blonde said as she moved closer to Regina as she continued to dance.

Regina smiled as she put a hand on the woman's waist and matched her movements.

"I just love this song!" The blonde shouted.

"And I just love drunk blondes."

"What?!" The woman asked leaning in.

"Nothing." Regina said with a smile as they continued to dance.

They danced through two more songs before Regina got thirsty and invited the blonde for a drink.

"Can I get a beer and whatever the dancing machine here wants?" Regina said to Mulan.

"The dancing machine is cut off for the night." Mulan said and the blonde pouted.

"But baby, I'm thirsty." The blonde leaned across the bar, her lips pursed out she gave Mulan a quick kiss on the lips before sitting back down.

Then it dawned on Regina and she turned to the blonde, "You're Aurora."

Aurora gave a lazily nod of the head as she took a sip of the water Mulan had placed in front of her.

"Nice to meet you dark and beautiful stranger." Aurora said with a slight slur.

"Oh believe me." Regina said as she stood up, took her wallet out and paid for her drinks, "The pleasure has been all mine."

Regina walked out of the bar and used her cellphone to call for a cab. She ended up at the diner and ordered a sandwich and fries to go before taking her food back to her room and pigging out.

That night she had a dream where she was dancing. The blonde, her back to Regina pressed against her as their bodies moved slowly to the music. Regina leaned in and kissed the woman's neck. She let out a small laugh as she turned around.

In the morning Regina woke with a jolt sitting up in her bed. She thought back on the dream and smiled to herself when the image of the blonde's face came back to her.

"I had a dream about you last night." Regina said as she slipped into the booth at Granny's.

Emma looked up from her newspaper, "What?"

"I said I had a dream about you last night." Regina repeated.

Emma looked around, "You know there's plenty of other empty seats."

"Don't you want to know what it was about?" Regina asked ignoring her.

Emma flicked her paper up in front of her, "Not really."

Regina pulled the paper down with a finger, "Well I'll tell you one thing, you've got some pretty good moves."

She let go of the paper, got up and went to sit at the counter.

Emma folded the corner of her paper down and looked over at Regina before shaking her head and returning to the article she was reading.

After Regina ate she sat at the counter and looked over at Emma who was still working on her two pieces of toast and 2nd cup of coffee.

"Put this on."

Regina looked to see Granny holding out a long brown leather apron.

"Does it come in red?" Regina asked taking the apron as she stood up.

"Your job is to bus the tables and wash the dishes." Granny told her as she tied her apron strings behind her.

"Put your hair up and keep it out of your face." She said as she handed Regina a hair tie.

She then summoned Regina to follower her into the kitchen.

"Clean, dry and stack." She told Regina as they stood in front of the big silver metal sink and dishwasher.

"Got it?" She asked as she looked at Regina.

"Yep." Regina told her.

Granny turned before leaving the kitchen, "And don't steal the tips off the tables."

Regina snorted as she pulled her hair back and put it up using the hair tie.

She managed to figure out the dishwashing machine and soon fell into a rhythm.

* * *

"Hey, I need clean glasses out here." Ruby said as she swung the kitchen door open.

Regina wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her yellow gloved hand then grabbed a rack of glasses and carried them out front.

She placed them on the counter then turned to Ruby, "Anything else?"

"Tables 4 and 8 need to be bused and the counter is sticky." Ruby told her.

Regina grabbed her rag and slowly wiped down the counter before grabbing her busing cart from the kitchen and started to clear table 4.

"Excuse me waitress." A man said from the table next to 6.

Regina looked up, "I'm not a waitress."

"Oh my apologies." He said, "Can you please clear these dishes for me?"

Regina looked at him and his friend then shrugged before pushing her cart over. She leaned across the table to grab a dish that was out of reach when she felt a hand on her ass.

She stood up straight and glared at the man, "Hey asshole, keep your nasty hands to yourself or lose them both."

"Sounds like a lot of tough talk coming from such a pretty mouth." He said to her.

"Yeah?" Regina asked, a hand on her hip, one eyebrow cocked, "I tell you what, you try that again to me or anyone else in here and I promise you'll have two bloody stumps by the end of the day."

When he didn't say anything Regina gave him and his friend a look before she grabbed her cart and headed over to table 8.

Ruby came over to her and Regina knew she was going to get scolded for threatening a customer.

"Oh thank you for putting him in his place." Ruby said to her, "Dr. Whale has been coming in here for years and I can't tell you how many times his hand has just managed to find its way onto my ass."

"He does it again, you just let me know." Regina told her.

"Sure thing." Ruby said with a wink before going to serve drinks to table 10.

After the lunch crowd and after Regina had washed all the dishes she was allowed to take her lunch and go back to her room at the Inn.

She ate her lunch then took a shower and got dress and ready for Emma who was coming to pick her up for the after school program.

A knock at her door right on time and Regina smiled as she opened the door.

Emma and Regina walked into the gym and Regina helped her pull out the sports equipment knowing today would probably be another day of the kids wanting to do their own thing.

"Ruby tells me you were introduced to Dr. Whale's hand." Emma said as she tossed a couple of jump ropes down.

"Yeah and he was introduced to my temper." Regina said to her as she grabbed the rack of basket balls and dragged it from the closet.

"Try not to get into any more trouble okay?" Emma said to her, "Unless you plan on spending the rest of your life in Storybrooke doing community service."

"Well I am liking the company so far." Regina said as she went back into the closet to grab the Frisbees.

The kids slowly came into the gym and Emma gave the kids their directions like the day before and they were off playing.

"Hey, where's the kid from yesterday, the reader?" Regina asked.

Emma looked around at the groups of kids and didn't spot him.

"I'll go look for him." Emma said but Regina stopped her.

"Let me do it." She said and Emma nodded.

The school itself wasn't that big Regina thought as she walked down and empty hallway.

She turned the corner and heard shouting. She rushed to the classroom and swung the door open to see a taller boy with brown wild hair holding Henry by the front of his shirt. The boy swung and hit Henry in the face.

Regina closed the distance between them and grabbed the kid by the back of the shirt, yanking him away. He let go of Henry, stumbled back and hit the wall. The wind got knocked out of him and he sunk to the floor gasping for air.

Regina went to Henry who sat on the floor his hands covering his face.

She took his hands away from his face, "Are you okay?"

He mumbled a yes and Regina stood up and turned her attention to the boy.

"REGINA!" Emma yelled and Regina turned around.

"What did you do?" Emma asked going over to the boy and crouching in front of him, "Just take in small breaths."

"I didn't do anything to him." Regina said as Emma helped Henry to his feet, "He hit Henry."

Emma looked at Henry, "Is that true? Did Felix hit you?" She removed the hand that was still covering his eye and she winced.

"Okay, let's go." She said to Felix as she helped him to his feet.

She looked at Regina, "Go back to the gym and watch the other kids. I'll be back when I can."

Emma took Henry to the nurse before taking Felix to the office. She called Felix's parents then Granny and told them what happened.

Granny came and got Henry from the school and took him home and Emma stood outside with Felix and waited for his mom.

She had a small talk with Felix's mom who seemed more pissed off about getting called away from work than the fact that her son attacked someone.

"I have to inform you that an adult broke up the fight. If you wish to file a complaint about how it was handled, let me know." Emma told the woman who was too busy talking on her cellphone.

"Huh?" The woman asked then looked back at Felix, "No, I'm sure whatever happened, he deserved it."

Emma shook her head at the woman then looked back sympathetically at Felix.

No wonder the kid was an asshole.

By the time Emma got back into the school Regina had moved the kids to the classroom and they were all working quietly on their homework.

Regina held out her wrists when Emma came up to her, "Go on Sheriff, take me back to my cell. I shall never be a free woman again."

Emma swatted her hands down, "Oh spare me the dramatics."

"You're just lucky Felix's mom has her head shoved too far up her ass to file a formal complaint against you." Emma told her as she looked over the kids.

"How's Henry?" Regina asked.

"He's shaken up but okay." Emma said then turned to Regina, "And grateful he had someone looking out for him.

After Emma and Regina made sure all the kids got home safely they got into her car and headed back to the Inn.

"You know if you would let me have my motorcycle back I wouldn't have to depend on you for rides." Regina said to her.

"The court has your license and you haven't paid your fines." Emma told her, "And I'm not going to have you running out on me again."

"Aww is that your way of telling me you'll miss me if I leave?" Regina asked.

"No, that's me telling you that if I have to hunt you down again I'll shoot first and ask questions later." Emma told her.


	5. Chapter 5

When Regina got back to the Inn she saw Henry sitting in a chair downstairs, his nose in a book.  
  
"Hey." She said, he looked up and she winced.  
  
"Nice shiner." She said as she went and sat down across from him.  
  
"Thanks I guess." He said quietly then went back to reading.  
  
"So what are you doing hanging around this dusty old place?" Regina asked him.  
  
"I live here with Granny." He told her.  
  
"You live here?" Regina asked surprised. She hadn't seen him around in the last two days she'd been here.  
  
"It's a big place and I'm easy to miss some times." He said to her as he closed his book and looked at her.  
  
"I don't think that kid will be bothering you any time soon." Regina told him.  
  
He gave her a small smile, "Yeah I don't think so either."  
  
Granny came in the front door and she looked at Regina then Henry, "Don't you have some chores at the diner to be doing?"  
  
"Yes Granny." He said then stood up and put his book down on the chair. He walked passed her and out the door.  
  
Granny stared at Regina arms folded across her chest.  
  
"What?" Regina asked with an irritated tone.  
  
"About what happened at the school today-." Granny started to say and Regina opened her mouth, ready to defend herself but Granny lifted a hand up, silencing her and said, "Thank you for looking out for Henry."  
  
"Does that mean I don't have to work tomorrow?" Regina asked hopeful.  
  
Granny laughed herself out of the room and down the hall.  
  
Regina shook her head and went upstairs to her room.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Emma sat in her normal booth at the diner. Ruby had brought her the chicken fried steak she'd ordered and she was happily eating it when she spotted Mulan coming over to her.  
  
"No you can't sit with me." She said to Mulan but she ignored her and sat down across from her in the booth anyways.  
  
"So how's it going with Regina?" Mulan asked.  
  
"It's fine." Emma said to her then went back to eating.  
  
"Is she allowed to be out partying when she's on community service?" Mulan asked and Emma looked up at her.  
  
"I'm just wondering because she was at The Rusty Screw last night drinking and dancing." Mulan told her with a little shrug, "I mean I don't mind it at all but I just don't want her to get into trouble."  
  
"I don't think Aurora minded it at all either." She said with a smile, "Especially the way they were dancing so close together."  
  
Emma put down her knife and fork.  
  
"I mean if I was the jealous type I probably would have put a stop to it but—." Mulan shook her head, "It was kind of hot. I got a little turned on if you know what I mean."  
  
Just then Regina walked into the diner and Emma looked up at her then back at Mulan.  
  
She slid out of the booth, threw some money on the table and walked out.  
  
The next day Regina waited for Emma at the diner so they could go to the day care center.  
  
"I'm not that good with little kids." Regina said as Emma drove.  
  
"I mean I don't mind them or anything but sometimes they get cranky and loud and I just can't handle it."  
  
Regina looked over at Emma, "Cat got your tongue or something?"  
  
"Why didn't you tell me you danced with Aurora?"  
  
"I didn't know I was supposed to report to you on who I dance with." Regna said, "If that's the case I also danced with someone named Stephanie, who's name I'm pretty sure is actually Stephen but to each their own."  
  
"How could you do that?" Emma asked.  
  
"Well it was actually very confusing at first because we weren't sure who was supposed to lead but I just let Stephanie take it and away we went." Regina joked and Emma turned and glared at her.  
  
"Lighten up okay? It's not like we screwed on the dance floor or anything." Regina told her, "And she's not your girlfriend anymore so maybe you should worry less about what she's doing. Maybe if you did that you'd be able to find someone get under the sheets with."  
  
"I'm not looking to get under the sheets with anyone." Emma told her.  
  
"Maybe you should." Regina said as Emma parked in the parking lot, "It'd help loosen the sand in your vagina."  
  
"You have problems." Emma said as she got out of the car, "Certifiable problems."  
  
"At least my vagina's not working up a pearl." Regina said as she followed Emma into the school.  
  
"Stop saying vagina." Emma said quietly.  
  
"I thought you'd be offended by pussy." Regina said, "Well at least the word anyways."  
  
"Shut up." She said before she pulled on the handle to one of the classroom doors and went in.  
  
In front of the classroom a woman with short black hair stood with a broad unending smile, "Class it seems we have a new helper joining us today!"  
  
The enthusiasm that oozed from this woman already annoyed Regina.  
  
"You all know Sheriff Swan and this is her special friend Regina." She said as she went over to them putting a hand on each woman's shoulder.  
  
Regina fought the urge to shrug it off.  
  
The class said hello all together and the teacher smiled at them.  
  
"Hi, I'm Mary Margaret." She said turning to Regina to shake her hand.  
  
"Hi." Regina said with a head nod as she briefly shook her hand.  
  
Mary Margaret and Emma talked for a moment as Regina looked around the class.  
  
"I'll be back to pick you up in a few hours." Emma said to Regina, "And behave yourself okay?"  
  
"I won't make any promises." Regina said to her before she left.  
  
As the kids worked on coloring Mary Margaret explained to Regina what she needed to do.  
  
"Sounds simple enough." Regina said to her.  
  
A little girl with blonde pig-tails raised her hand.  
  
"Yes Alison?" Mary Margaret asked the little girl.  
  
"Brodie took my colored marker."  
  
"Now, Alison what did I tell you about tattle-telling?" She asked as she went over to her.  
  
"Psst."  
  
Regina looked around.  
  
"Psst psst."  
  
She turned to see a little dark haired girl motioning for her to come closer.  
  
Regina went over to the little girl, "Yes?"  
  
"What do you think?" She asked Regina as she showed her the drawing she had been working on.  
  
"I think that's a very nice horse." Regina said and the little girl burst into tears.  
  
"It's dog." She whined through her tears.  
  
Mary Margaret quieted the little girl and Regina wandered as far away from her as she could.  
  
By the end of the 3 hours Regina's shirt was covered in glitter, she was sure she had paste somewhere in her hair and no matter how many time she washed her hands the smell of play-doh remained.  
  
"Little children are exhausting." Regina said as she got into Emma's car and she drove her back to the Inn.  
  
"And to think you'll get to do it all over again tomorrow." Emma said with a smile as Regina got out of her car.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Regina managed to survive her second day at the preschool even though she really wanted to strangle Mary Margaret.  
  
After Emma dropped her off, Regina went into the diner and sat at the counter.  
  
She waited for Ruby to come back around before asking for a cup of coffee.  
  
"Hey, you wouldn't happen to want to go out with me tonight would you?" Regina asked her.  
  
"You're a beautiful lady and if I were a lesbian I'd be all up on you but sorry hon, I don't swing that way." Ruby said to her with a small smile.  
  
"Okay." Regina said drawing out the word, "I just meant going to the bar for a couple drinks but good to know where you stand on the whole V vs P issue."  
  
"Oh." Ruby said with a laugh, "Well in that case, sure I'll come out for some drinks after my shift."  
  
"Great." Regina said then ordered herself some food.  
  
After she ate she went home took a shower, changed into a pair of black leather pants and a blue t-shirt before slipping on a pair of high heeled boots.  
  
She smiled at herself in the mirror as she grabbed her leather jacket and headed downstairs and over to the diner.  
  
She waited for Ruby to close up before they got into a cab and headed out to The Rusty Screw.  
  
Apparently there was a theme tonight because when they walked in country music came from the juke box as two rows of people did a line dance passed them.  
  
"Oh man." Regina said as she watched some cowboy fling a woman around his waist and land her back on her feet.  
  
"Think we picked the wrong night to come out to drink." Regina said to Ruby.  
  
"Oh hell no." Ruby said as a cowboy came up to her. She took his hat and put it on her head, "This is going to be great."  
  
The cowboy took Ruby by the hand and twirled her onto the dance floor.  
  
Another cowboy with a black hat came over to Regina and offered her his hand, "Care to dance Miss?"  
  
"I'll need a few drinks first." She said and left him standing there while she headed for the bar.  
  
Mulan already had a shot poured for Regina and she slammed it back before sitting down. She then took the beer Mulan had given her and turned in her seat to watch as Ruby went from dancing with one cowboy after another.  
  
She turned back around to face Mulan, "You know you got me into some shit with Emma."  
  
"Oh?" Mulan said innocently.  
  
"Yeah maybe you shouldn't blab so much to her about what I do here." Regina suggested.  
  
"Last I checked this was my bar." Mulan told her, "And what happens here doesn't always stay here."  
  
Regina's eyes narrowed, and then she took a huge swig of her beer before Ruby came up to her breathless, "Come dance with me!"  
  
She dragged Regina to the dance floor and after watching for a few minutes she got the hang of the dance and joined in.  
  
At the end of the night both women were completely drunk out of their minds. They were in the back of the cab singing at the top of their lungs.  
  
 _She's my cherry pie,_  
  
 _Cool drink of water_  
  
 _Such a sweet surprise_  
  
 _Tastes so good_  
  
 _Make a grown man cry_  
  
 _Sweet cherry pie oh yea_  
  
 _She's my cherry pie_  
  
 _Put a smile on your face_  
  
 _Ten miles wide_  
  
 _Looks so good_  
  
 _Bring a tear to your eye_  
  
 _Sweet cherry pie_  
  
They dragged out the last word as long as they could before they ran out of breath.  
  
The cab driver was thankful when they spilled out of his cab as he parked in front of the Inn. He watched as they stumbled through the door before he took off.  
  
"Shhh-shhh." Ruby said with a finger to Regina's lips to quiet her.  
  
Regina nodded her head then pushed Ruby away, "Night."  
  
She watched as Ruby wobbled on unsteady feet down the hall.  
  
Regina held onto the walls as she made her way slowly and carefully up the stairs and to her room. She took off her jacket and dropped it to the floor before she collapsed face first onto her bed and stayed that way till morning.  
  


* * *

  
  
The alarm clock sent a shooting pain into Regina's head as it went off. She moaned then knocked the clock off the night stand silencing it.  
  
She groaned as she rolled over and stared at the ceiling. Imagines from last night popped into her head as she slowly sat up and clutched her head.  
  
She took her boots off then stood up slowly and peeled off her leather pants. She stripped off her shirt, bra and underwear leaving a trail to the bathroom where she went and took a shower.  
  
She managed to wash the stale smell of beer and cowboy sweat from her body then got out, got dressed and headed over to the Sheriff station.  
  
"Good morning Ms. Mills!"  
  
Regina groaned as David's loud voice echoed in her ears.  
  
"Drop the volume a couple notches there Deputy Fife." She said as she pressed a hand to her throbbing temple.  
  
She looked around, "Where's Emma?"  
  
"Sheriff Swan is out on a call." He told her, "She told me to tell you to get started on the filing."  
  
Regina ignored him and sat down in Emma's chair at her desk.  
  
"You shouldn't sit there." David told her.  
  
"Why? Will sitting here turn me into a hard-nosed sheriff with a stick up her ass?"  
  
"No I just don't like people sitting in my seat." Emma said as she walked into the room.  
  
Regina swiveled the chair around and looked up at Emma with a smile.  
  
"Get up." Emma said and Regina moved slowly to her feet.  
  
"Went out partying last night huh?" Emma asked as she sat down and opened her desk drawer to put away her gun and badge, "Little hung-over today are you?"  
  
She slammed the drawer shut and Regina winced.  
  
"How about you work off that hang over with a little filing?" Emma asked holding up the stack of files for her.  
  
Regina grabbed them and stuck her tongue out at Emma before going into the other room to put them away.  
  
Emma sent David to get lunch and Regina was thankful for the break. She already had 3 paper cuts and she was worried another would cause her to bleed out.  
  
David dropped off their lunches before leaving again.  
  
"Where's he going in such a hurry?" Regina asked Emma as she sat at his desk to eat.  
  
"He goes to eat lunch with his wife." Emma told her.  
  
"He's married?" Regina asked, "Who the hell took pity on him?"  
  
"Mary Margaret."  
  
Regina laughed then looked over at Emma who wasn't laughing, "You're serious?"  
  
Emma nodded then took a bite of her hamburger.  
  
After lunch David returned and Emma sent him out on a call.  
  
"You know it's a wonder he hasn't shot himself on accident yet." Regina said as she grabbed another stack of files.  
  
"He's a good guy." Emma told her, "He's just not the brightest crayon in the box."  
  
"Not the sharpest tool in the shed?" Regina asked, "Would you say he's about as sharp as a marble?"  
  
Emma laughed, "Don't be mean.  
  
"The gates are down and the lights are flashing, but the train isn't coming?"  
  
Emma laughed harder, "I don't—I've never heard that one before."  
  
Regina smiled, shrugged her shoulder as she carried the files into the other room.  
  
Emma chuckled quietly to herself as she went back to typing up a report.  
  
Regina popped her head back into the room, "Like seriously though, is he the village idiot? Is that why you keep him around?"  
  
"Get back to work!" Emma commanded with a smile.  
  
At the end of the day Emma sent David home early and then sat at her desk finishing up a report.  
  
"You can go too if you want." She said to Regina.  
  
"I'm in no hurry." Regina said as she sat down at David's desk.  
  
A few minutes of silence and Emma turned to Regina, "What?"  
  
"What?" She echoed.  
  
"You're staring at me."  
  
Regina smiled, "Was I?"  
  
Emma turned off her computer and stood up, "Forget it, I'll do this tomorrow."  
  
"You're skipping out on your work?" Regina asked shock, "How very unlike you."  
  
"You've only been in town a week." Emma said to her as she put on her jacket, "You don't know me."  
  
"So let's change that." Regina said to her, "Come have a drink with me tonight."  
  
"First of all, I'm not going out to get drunk with someone I have been court ordered to supervise." Emma said, "Secondly, as soon as your community service is done you'll be long gone."  
  
"So?" Regina asked.  
  
"So what's the point?" Emma asked.  
  
"Ah okay." Regina said as she got up and followed Emma out the door, "I get it now."  
  
"You get what now exactly?" Emma asked as she locked up and turned to face her.  
  
Regina shook her head, "Nah, I'm going to wait till you come to me."  
  
She turned and started to walk off and Emma followed her.  
  
"I won't you know, come to you." Emma told her.  
  
"You will." Regina called over her shoulder, "Eventually."  
  
Emma picked up her dinner at the Chinese Café then home to her loft. She sat on her couch with a tired sigh as she opened up the bag of take out and put her food out on the coffee table.  
  
She used her chopsticks to pick up a big helping of chow-mein and shoved it into her mouth than huffed, "The nerve." She mumbled, a noodle dropping from her mouth.  
  
Emma couldn't believe the gall Regina had just assuming things about her then playing coy when questioned about it.  
  
She knew she probably shouldn't get this mad because honestly why did it matter what this stranger thought about her?  
  
She shoved another helping of noodles into her mouth and grumbled to herself.  
  
The next day at work Emma waited patiently for Regina to come in. David had been sent out on a call to the Piper farm about errant cows.  
  
"Good morning Sheriff. You'll be happy to know I am hangover free and ready to do more filing." Regina said as she saluted Emma.  
  
"I don't like people assuming things about me." Emma said to her.  
  
Regina looked around, "I'm sorry were we in the middle of a conversation I don't remember having?"  
  
"Last night, you assumed something about me and you won't tell me what it is." Emma said, "And I'm telling you that I don't appreciate it when people do that."  
  
"And I told you how you could fix that." Regina told her as she reached to pick up a stack of files from Emma's desk.  
  
Emma slammed her hand down on top of them and looked up at Regina. They stared at each other, Emma's eyes trying to burn a hole in Regina.  
  
"All you have to do is have a drink with me and I'll tell you." Regina told her.  
  
Emma withdrew her hand, "Fine."  
  
Regina smiled.  
  
"But not at The Rusty Screw." Emma told her.  
  
"Wherever you want to go is fine with me." Regina told her.  
  
"The Rabbit Hole." Emma said, "And I'll pick you up at 9."  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the song Cherry Pie by Warrant


	6. Chapter 6

Emma was alone at the Sheriff station as she had sent David and Regina home. She tried focusing on writing her reports but her mind kept going back to the fact that in little less than 2 hours she'd be having drinks with Regina.

Every bone in her body told her this wasn't a good idea but curiosity got the better of her.

She took her time shutting down the office before getting into her car and heading home.

She took a shower then stood in front of her closet wrapped in a towel looking for something to wear.

What the hell are you doing? Are you insane? You're going out with some stranger and not just any stranger but someone you had to throw in jail!

Emma shook her head, "It's not like it's a date. It's just a drink."

She decided on something casual to wear since it wasn't a date. Black jeans, light purple sweater and black boots.

She looked herself over once in the mirror before grabbing her keys and heading out the door.

Emma drove over to the Inn and went inside. She knocked on Regina's door and waited.

Her jaw almost hit the ground when Regina opened the door and Emma saw what she was wearing.

Black leather pants, a low cut oversized white sweater and black suede ankle boots.

Emma looked her up and down and Regina stood smiling as she did.

"See something you like?"

Emma got flustered, "Boots. Where'd you get them?" then cleared her throat, "So ready to go?"

She turned and walked down the hall, not giving Regina a chance to answer either question.

Regina admired the view of Emma's ass as she followed her down the hall and to her car.

* * *

"This place looks a little too fancy to be a bar." Regina said as Emma parked outside The Rabbit Hole.

"Looks can be deceiving." Emma said as they got out of the car.

They walked into the red brick building and Regina was a little surprised. It wasn't as rough looking as The Rusty Screw but it wasn't exactly 5 Star dining either.

The place was almost packed but wasn't noisy. Even the music from the jukebox played at a reasonable level.

Emma led them to a table near the back and they sat down.

"Okay so tell me." Emma said and Regina smiled.

"Easy there." Regina said, "Let's get some drinks first."

Emma went to get up but Regina stopped her as she placed a hand on her forearm, "Let me get this round first."

Regina got up and Emma watched as she walked over to the bar. Emma could tell by the way the male bartender was smiling that Regina was probably flirting.

Within a few moments Regina came back carrying a shot glass in one hand and a cocktail glass in the other.

"I got you Between the Sheets." Regina said smiling as she put the cocktail down in front of Emma before sitting down across from her.

Emma looked at her glass then over to Regina's shot.

"I got a Pink Pussy."

Emma's eyes widened and she looked around to see if anyone had heard her.

"Relax." Regina said with a chuckle, "That's just the name of the drink."

She threw the drink back and looked at Emma.

Emma picked up her glass and took a small sip before putting the glass down and smacking her lips.

"Not bad."

"Yeah but I can't get you drunk on baby sips like that." Regina said as she raised her hand and a perky red headed waitress showed up at their table.

"Hi, Ginger." Regina said reading her name tag then looked up at her with a frown, "Oh honey, really?"

"My parents thought they were being cute." Ginger said, "What can I get you?"

"I'm going to need 4 shots of tequila and 2 beers to start us off." Regina said and Emma opened her mouth to protest but Regina put a hand up to silence her.

"You got it." Ginger said then turned and headed for the bar.

"So you're going to get me drunk?" Emma asked, "That's your plan?"

"All I'm trying to do is loosen the stick that's shoved up your ass."

"Whoa first I have sand in my –." She leaned in and almost whispered, "Vagina but now I have a stick up my ass?"

"Hey all I'm saying is, I think you'd be more fun if you, you know had more fun."

Ginger brought over a tray with their drinks and carefully placed them in front of the two women.

"Thank you Ginger." Regina said as she placed some money on the tray.

Ginger smiled then went back to the bar.

"I bet you've never taken a shot of tequila in your life." Regina said to Emma.

Emma scoffed as she licked the back of her hand, grabbed the salt shaker sprinkled on some salt. She grabbed the shot glass then looked at Regina as she licked the salt, threw back the drink before slamming the glass down and shoving a wedge of lime in her mouth. She made a face as the tang from the lime hit her.

She smiled a big green smile at Regina before removing the wedge, "You were saying?"

"Okay." Regina said nodding her head, "Let the games begin."

After two rounds Regina was definitely feeling the alcohol coursing through her blood. She was light headed; her skin was flush and she was feeling really good.

She waved for Ginger who came over to their table.

"Another round." Regina said and Ginger nodded before going to get their drinks.

"We've had our drinks." Emma said, "So are you going to tell me what it is about me that you get?"

"I knew that comment bothered you." Regina told her as Ginger placed their drinks on the table.

"That's probably why you said it."

"Not at all." Regina told her as she took down one of her shots. She cleared her throat, "But it takes damaged goods to know damaged goods."

"Damaged goods?" Emma asked making a face, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Okay just calm down and hear me out will you?" Regina asked and Emma took one shot after the other before leaning back in her chair and folding her arms across her chest.

"I'm listening."

Regina looked at her as if she was studying her. Her eyes squinted, a hand on her chin.

"Someone hurt you a long time ago, perhaps a parent." Regina said only pausing to see if Emma would give anything away, "This person made promises they never kept. They promised they'd be there for you, never leave you but they did and that's when it happened."

Regina took her other shot and waited for Emma to say something but when she didn't she continued.

"You hardened yourself. Shut your heart off and showed people you didn't care." Regina said, "You decided why bother letting anyone in, why bother getting close when it's just going to end with them leaving."

Regina grabbed her beer and took a long drink from it before she pointed and wiggled her finger at Emma, "But I see right through that little bit of armor of yours."

"Oh yeah?" Emma asked, "And what is it you see?"

"I see a hurt girl wondering why no one ever wants to sticks around."

Emma clenched her jaw then grabbed her beer took a sip before putting the bottle back down on the table.

"I think you're drunk and don't know what you're talking about." Emma said as she stood up, "And I think it's time we go our separate ways."

Regina looked up at Emma, "You drank just as much as I did. Why aren't you drunk?"

Emma helped Regina up and steadied her on her feet, "Because I've had years of practice on handling my booze."

Regina smiled as Emma put her arm around her.

"I would have loved to have gotten to know that Emma." Regina said as a small hiccup escaped her.

"That Emma is long gone." Emma told her as they walked out of the bar and Emma sat Regina down on one of the benches while she called a cab.

Regina looked up at her with glassy eyes, "You know, not every one's gonna hurt you."

"I know they won't."

"As long as you don't give them the chance to, right?" Regina asked as she leaned back against the bench, "Just tell me something."

Emma looked down at her, "What?"

"Who hurt you so badly?"

Emma turned around as she stared up the street keeping an eye out for the cab. She wrapped her arms around herself, "It's a long and complicated story I doubt you'll stick around long enough to hear."

"I may surprise you." Regina told her.

Emma turned and looked at her with a sad smile, "I doubt it."

A yellow cab pulled up and Emma once again put her arm around Regina and hauled her to her feet. She opened the back door of the cab and moved Regina to sit her down.

Regina leaned over and whispered in Emma's ear, "Your hand is on my boob."

Emma let her go and Regina fell into the backseat with a laugh. Emma moved Regina over and slid in next to her.

She told the cab driver to head to the Inn and when he parked out front Emma helped Regina up to her room.

"I'm sure you'll have forgotten everything we talked about when you wake up in the morning with your hangover and dry heaving." Emma said as she carefully sat Regina down on her bed.

Regina looked up at her seeming dazed and a little more than confused.

"Get some rest." Emma told her as she headed for the door.

Regina gave her a sloppy salute then smiled at her, "Aye Aye Captain Sheriff."

Emma rolled her eyes, "Good night."

She slipped out of the door and shut it behind her.

Once Emma was gone Regina stood steadily on her feet and started to get undressed. She smiled wickedly to herself as she thought of how funny it was that someone was willing to share so much when they thought the other person was drunk.

In the morning Regina sat in a booth at Granny's diner sipping at her cup of coffee and reading the local paper.

The bell above the door jingled and caught Regina's attention. She looked up to see Mulan walking in with Aurora.

She looked passed them as the door closed to see Emma walking up the sidewalk. She got up to her feet as fast as she could without looking suspicious and headed for the door.

She got outside, down the few steps and stood in front of Emma blocking her path, "Good morning Sheriff."

"I see you recovered from our night out." Emma said she went to move passed Regina.

Regina moved in front of her again, "Would you mind giving me a ride?"

Emma gave her a look, "What's going on? Did you rob the place? Am I your getaway driver?"

Regina sighed. She obviously didn't realize what Regina was trying to do.

"Mulan is in there with Aurora."

Emma looked passed Regina to see Mulan and Aurora sitting at the counter, Aurora's head on Mulan's shoulder.

"Can I buy you a cup of free complimentary coffee at Granny's Inn?" Regina asked as she directed Emma away from the diner.

"Yeah." Emma said, "Sounds good."

Regina poured coffee in two small paper cups, "Cream and sugar?"

Emma shook her head and Regina handed her a cup of black coffee.

They sat down in the small living room.

"How'd you recover so quickly from last night?" Emma asked as she held her cup with both hands.

Regina smiled behind her cup of coffee, "Last night wasn't too bad was it?"

"Depends." Emma asked, "How much do you remember?"

"I remember a hand on my boob sometime during the night."

Emma's cheeks turned pink as she looked away and took a sip of her coffee.

"I'm sorry but does this look like a coffee shop to you?"

The two women turned and saw Granny standing in the door way, a hand on her hip and a peeved look on her face.

"The coffee here is exceptional." Regina said to Granny as she lifted her cup up.

Granny glared at her and Emma gave her a strange look.

"I'm just complimenting your complimentary coffee."

Granny sighed and shook her head as she walked passed them and down the hall.

"If she throws you out you'll end up back in my jail cell, you realize that right?" Emma asked her as she stood up.

"Hey if it means you sleeping over then I'll do whatever I need to do to get thrown out on my ass." Regina said as she got up and followed Emma to the door.

Emma laughed as she turned around. Regina was within inches of her and Emma had to take a step back.

"Just try not to get thrown out of here." Emma said as she turned around quickly and opened the front door.

She paused before leaving and turned around, "Thanks for the rescue."

Regina nodded with a smile, "Any time."

She watched as Emma headed down the walkway then shut the door and went back up to her room.

Later in the day Regina went down to the diner and sat at the counter and waited for Ruby to take her order.

"So I heard someone went to The Rabbit Hole last night with the sheriff."

Regina turned to see Mulan standing by her and she rolled her eyes.

"What happened? Little Ms. Prissy didn't want to come by The Rusty Screw for a drink?"

Regina turned to look at her, "She wanted class last night."

"Then why'd she go out with you?"

Regina stood up and got practically nose to nose with her.

"Do not get blood on my floors." Granny said as she placed a bag on the counter and looked at them.

Regina clenched her jaw.

Mulan lips broken into a small smile as she stepped back. She grabbed the bag from the counter, turned around and headed for the door.

"Sit down." Granny said to Regina who was watching Mulan walk down the sidewalk.

"Sit down now." Granny commanded.

Regina sat down and faced forward.

Granny leaned on the counter, almost getting in Regina's face.

"She would love nothing more than for you to assault her." Granny said.

"I would be happy to give her what she wants." Regina said through clenched teeth.

"And you'll end up back in a jail cell and I'm sure as much as you'd love to give the sheriff hell through those tiny bars, you will only get more time on your sentence or worse." Granny pointed out.

Regina sighed.

Granny stood up straight, "Good. Now tell Ruby what you want so I can add it to the list of items you'll be working off."

She winked at Regina before going back into the kitchen.

Regina ordered some food then took it over to the sheriff station.

"I come with food!" Regina said then smiled, "I come with other things too if you know what I mean."

She winked at Emma who was sitting at her desk.

"Where's Deputy Dutz?" Regina asked as she placed the bag on Emma's desk and opened it.

"Dutz…" Emma shook her head, "David has the day off."

Regina handed Emma a stack of napkins, a burger and a jumbo order of fries. She reached back into the bag and pulled out two cans of soda.

Regina smiled, "So just the two of us huh?" She asked as she placed the bag on the floor for their trash.

"How about after we eat we play a little cops and robbers?" Regina asked, "I get to be the cop!"

Emma reached over and took her unopened soda can, "Maybe you don't need any more caffeine."

Regina took back her soda, "Maybe we should do something tonight."

"I have plans." Emma told her as she popped the top on her soda.

Regina looked at her, "Let me guess, you're going to go home, get into a pair of sweatpants throw on an old shirt and sit on the couch with your two best friends Ben and Jerry while you watch reruns of some old black and white cop show like Get Smart."

"HA! Just goes to show you how much you know!" Emma said, "I'm lactose intolerant!"

"And the cop show?" Regina asked.

"Perry Mason." Emma mumbled.

"Uh-huh."

Emma ate a couple of her fries then sipped on her soda.

"Come on go out with me tonight." Regina practically whined.

"You know you're not supposed to be having fun right?" Emma asked, "You're being punished."

"And tomorrow when I have to get up early and work at Granny's diner I will be punished but tonight on my day of freedom I want to go and do something." Regina told her.

Emma sighed and Regina knew she was going to cave.

"Okay what do you want to do?"

Regina smiled and Emma knew she was in deep shit.


	7. Chapter 7

"I don't think you're actually supposed to be crossing town lines." Emma said as she followed Regina's directions while she drove, "I think the judge was pretty clear about that."

"You're my police escort." Regina told her, "What could happen?"

They drove a little further before Regina told her to turn into a dirt parking lot.

Emma parked and they got out.

"The Happy Clam?" She asked reading the neon sign on the brick building.

Regina smiled as she held open the door and Emma stepped inside.

Some pop song played from the juke box as they moved through a small crowd to get to a table.

Emma looked around as she sat down and Regina sat across from her.

A woman with black hair and crystal blue eyes came over to their table. "And what can I get you?"

Regina looked over at Emma who was still looking around at the bar.

"Two shots of tequila for now." Regina ordered for both of them.

Emma's attention was now focused on the loud cheering that was coming from a red door just to the left of her.

"What kind of bar is this?" Emma asked, "There's peanut shells and sawdust on the floor and loud noises coming from behind closed doors and-." She paused and looked around again, "There seems to be a lot of women in here."

Regina laughed, "It's a lesbian bar, Emma."

"What?" Emma asked confused, "No. Wait, really?"

"It's called the Happy Clam and there's only women in here." Regina pointed out.

The noises from behind the red door caught Emma's attention again, "What the hell is going on back there?"

"More than likely someone's riding the bull." Regina told her as the waitress set their drinks down.

"A bull?" Emma asked surprised.

"Relax it's mechanical." Regina told her.

"How do you know that?" Emma asked then took her shot, "And how'd you know about this place?"

"I told you, I travel down here quite a bit." Regina told her, "And I know my way around fun places like this."

Regina threw back one of her shots then looked at Emma, "You okay being in a lesbian bar with me?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Emma asked.

"Because you look nervous and ready to bolt for the door."

"Can we—I mean, do you think-." Emma paused then smiled, "Can we go see the bull?"

Regina didn't even bother hiding her grin as she got up, "Let's go."

Emma grabbed the handle and pulled open the door and it was like opening a portal to another dimension.

The room was smoky, loud and had a strange smell of sweat and fear. The lights were low and tinged red and a crowd of women gathered around in a circle.

Regina and Emma pushed their way through to the front and there they saw the black mechanical bull doing its best to knock off its female rider.

The woman laughed one second then Emma caught the fear in her eyes as she slipped to the side, yelled something and was flung from the bull onto the black cushioned pads that covered the small pit the bull lived in.

The bull slowed down before coming to a complete stop. Smoke came from its nose.

"Let's give it up for Abby!"

Emma turned to see the female D.J as she starting clapping for the woman that has just been thrown to the ground.

Two big women helped a laughing Abby to her feet and out of the pit.

"Okay ladies who's next?" The D.J asked, "What lucky lady wants to give Lucifer a shot?"

"So are you going to give it a try?" Regina asked Emma.

"What? No way!"

"Why not?" Regina asked.

"You do it."

"I've ridden Lucifer before." Regina told her.

"And lived to tell of it I see."

"Is it the stick?" Regina asked, "Is that what's preventing you?"

Emma glared at her.

"Let's make a deal." Regina said and Emma arched an eyebrow up.

"I'm listening."

"We both ride and the person who's ride is the shortest has to talk about themselves." Regina said, "Oh and buy drinks for the rest of the night."

Emma smiled, stuck out her hand and Regina took it.

"Deal." She said and they shook on it.

"Leah! I got next!" Regina yelled at the D.J who nodded at her with a smile just before she turned the music up so Lucifer could claim his next victim.

A tall lanky blonde woman with her hair pulled back in a ponytail hopped onto Lucifer.

The ride was short-lived as the woman was flung off the bull after only 2 seconds.

Regina looked at Emma, "I hope you have a pocketful of cash and secrets because you're going to need them after my ride."

She smiled at Emma then walked over to the bull full of cockiness.

Emma watched mesmerized as Regina climbed slowly onto the bull. The way her legs clung to the side of the bull and the serious look on her face as she nodded to Leah who hit the music.

"Okay let's see how long the lovely Regina can keep her ass on Lucifer!" Leah shouted to the crowd who cheered.

The bull started moving slow at first and Emma saw the smug smile on Regina's face as Lucifer turned her around.

Regina winked at Emma just as the bull's speed picked up.

5 seconds. That's how long Regina's ride lasted before she was tossed like a sack of potatoes into the pit.

Two women waded into the pit and hoisted Regina up on her feet.

Regina threw her hands in the air, "YEAH!" She yelled as the crowd cheered for her.

She half jogged over to Emma, breathless, "Well get your sweet ass up there because I want my secrets and booze!"

Emma looked like she was going to back out and Regina grabbed her by the arm and almost dragged her over to Lucifer. With carefully placed hands on Emma's ass, Regina helped boost her up onto the black leathered beast.

Regina stepped back and watched as Emma clung to Lucifer.

"Crank it Leah, I need to win a bet!" Regina yelled to the D.J who gave her a thumbs up.

Regina moved back into the crowd and watched as the fear in Emma's eyes gave way to a sparkle. She turned to look at Regina and gave her the wickedest smile she'd ever seen.

"Oh shit." Regina said quietly to herself.

When Emma was bucked from Lucifer, Regina went into the pit to help her out.

They both looked at Leah who smiled then announced, "6 second ride for the beautiful blonde!"

"Nooooo." Regina whined.

"HA!" Emma yelled in her face then clapped her hands together, "Time for you to whip out that huge wallet of yours!"

Regina, defeated followed Emma back out to the bar.

They sat back down and Emma couldn't stop smiling.

"I don't like this side of you." Regina said to Emma then summoned the waitress.

"You mean the fun side? The side you've been trying to coax out of me since you sped into my life?" Emma asked.

The waitress came over.

Regina looked at Emma and asked, "What's your poison?"

"You apparently." Emma said to her then looked at the waitress, "Bring us 4 shots of tequila and 2 beers please."

"So how'd you get so good at riding mechanical bulls?" Regina asked.

"Ah-ah-ah." Emma said wagging a finger at her, "You're the one that's going to be spilling about your life not me remember?"

The waitress brought them their drinks and Regina hit both shots before clearing her throat with a little cough, "Okay bring it on."

"Where were you born?" Emma asked.

"Really? You're going with something so bland?" Regina asked, "Why don't you ask me something like, 'Have you ever gone skydiving naked'?"

Emma took a long sip of her beer, "Have you ever been skydiving naked?"

"Nope." Regina said with a smile, "This is fun."

"You don't really like talking about yourself do you?" Emma asked.

"Does anyone who isn't an egomaniac really like talking about themselves?" Regina asked then picked up a wedge of lime and sucked on it.

"Telling someone about yourself has nothing to do with the ego. It has to do with sharing and letting the other person get to know you better."

"So you want to get to know me better huh?" Regina asked as wiggled her eyebrows up and down.

Emma sighed, "Does everything have to be a joke or sexual innuendo?"

Regina took a sip of her beer, "I learned a long time ago that life is what you make of it. If you want to live a dull boring life then go right ahead."

She peeled at the label on the bottle, "Me? I'm going to live my life the way I want. I want to have fun and be free. I have no interest in being in a stuffy office for hours on end and missing out on life."

"Sometimes Emma, you have to say 'fuck it' and just let go." Regina told her as she looked her straight in the eyes.

"Your parents, were they the ones stuck in a stuffy office missing out on life?" Emma asked.

"My parents?" Regina asked confused, "What do they have to do with anything?"

"From the way you said it I just thought maybe it was from personal experience."

"My dad was all business and my mother was more of the free spirit. She wanted to see me happy." Regina told her, "They divorced when I was 3 and I lived with my mother till I graduated high school and went off to college."

Emma smiled, this was the kind of information she had wanted to hear. Personal things, real things.

"Where'd you go to college?" Emma asked.

"Columbia."

"In New York?" Emma asked surprised.

"Yep." Regina said with a smile then took a big sip of her beer.

"So what do you do with your degree?"

"Nothing." Regina told her.

"What do you mean nothing?" Emma asked, "Why go to school if you're not going to use what you've learned?"

"I went to business school to appease my dad because that's what he wanted." Regina told her.

"And what did your mom have to say about that?" Emma asked.

Regina's eyes shifted down.

"Let me guess she encouraged you to be wild and crazy in college. And I'm sure you called home every weekend to share with her your escapades." Emma said with a small smile.

"She died just after I graduated high school." Regina said, "So fortunately she wasn't around to see me conform to my father's wishes."

"I'm sorry." Emma said quietly.

Regina waved off her sympathy, "After I graduated from Columbia I worked at my father's corporation for a year before I kind of reverted back to my old ways."

"How so?"

Regina smiled as she thought back, "One day while my dad was in a board meeting I sauntered in with my business degree, set it on fire on his desk and quit."

"Oh my God.

Regina shrugged, "Do you know what it's like to have a father who disapproves of you so much that he doesn't tell people about you?"

She took a sip of her beer, "And I mean he doesn't even acknowledge he has a daughter."

Emma shook her head in disbelief.

"I bet your parents are proud of you." Regina said, "Sheriff of a town that seems to respect and like you."

"I doubt that." Emma told her.

Regina raised an eyebrow, "Did the Saintly Emma do something her parents didn't approve of?"

"First of all, I'm not a saint." Emma told her, "And you have to have parents in order to disappoint them."

"Everyone has parents." Regina told her, "Unless you're telling me a stork magically brought you into the world."

Emma smiled, "If only it were that simple."

Now Regina was curious.

"Okay now you have to explain."

Emma summoned the waitress before looking at Regina, "I think I'm going to need a few more drinks first."

After the waitress brought them their drinks and Regina waited patiently as Emma took a shot and drank half her beer.

Emma sighed as she put her beer down on the table, "I was abandoned as a baby. I never met my parents and was placed into foster care. I went from home to home and got into a ton of trouble along the way. When I was 17 I met a guy who made a lot of promises he never intended to keep. We got into some trouble and were arrested. He flipped on me, got off scot-free and I ended up in jail for a month."

"Christ." Regina said quietly.

"Needless to say I got my shit together, finished high school and then ended up the sheriff's program." Emma told her, "I worked hard putting my life back together."

"And you're not about to let someone like me breeze in and mess it up right?" Regina asked.

Emma shook her head slowly, "People like you, the ones that want to run wild and free, they don't stay in one place long. They can't or won't."

"I could." Regina told her.

Emma gave her a smile, "I'm not expecting you to."

Before Regina could say anything more Emma's cellphone rang.

Regina only heard one half of the conversation but from what she heard it was David on the phone and she was being called down the station.

"We have to go." Emma told her as she stood up and dialed her phone to call a cab.

"What happened?" Regina asked once they were outside.

The cab drove them to the Sheriff station.

David started talking the moment they stepped inside.

"They were caught at the church again." He said as he followed Regina and Emma.

Regina was just as disappointed to see Henry sitting on the floor of one of the cells, his partner in crime, Felix in the other cell lying on the bed.

"Did you call Granny?" Emma asked David.

"She told me to keep him here." David said quietly.

"Felix's mother?"

"She said the same thing Mrs. Lucas said except with less swearing." David told her.

Regina went over to the cell Henry was in and crouched down, "What happened?"

She could see in his eyes he was trying his hardest to not cry. He just looked at her and shrugged his shoulders.

Regina stood up and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Emma asked.

"To talk some sense into an old woman." Regina said before leaving.

Regina walked back to the Inn and never lost the anger she was feeling as she stormed inside and found Granny at the front desk going through paperwork.

"You can't just leave him in jail." Regina said to her.

Granny looked up over the metal rim of her glasses, "Excuse me?"

"Henry. You can't leave him in jail." Regina told her, "You can't."

Granny removed her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose, "And why can't I?"

"Because he's a good kid." Regina said, "He's a good kid that needs some help and guidance."

"He is beyond my help." Granny said, "He wants to hang out with Felix and his stupid little friends who constantly get him into trouble then so be it. I will not keep bailing him out."

"So you're giving up on him?" Regina asked, "Just like that?"

"I'm giving up." Granny told her.

"You can't do that!" Regina yelled at her, "You can't just throw him away because he's made a few mistakes!"

Granny stood up from behind the counter.

"He's a good kid and he wants to do better!" Regina continued, "You have to give him a chance. You have to give him the chance to do better!"

"Regina?"

She turned when she heard her name, tears in her eyes she saw Emma standing behind her.

Granny took the opportunity to leave while Regina was distracted.

"Hey, what's going on?" Emma asked Regina.

"She's giving up on him." Regina said a tear rolled down his cheek, "A little bit of trouble and she doesn't want him anymore."

Emma stepped closer to her, took Regina's hand in hers, "Hey, it's going to be okay."

Regina pulled her hand out of Emma's, "He's sitting in a jail cell waiting for the person who's supposed to care about and love him come and pick him up. To give him a hug, tell him it's going to be okay and that no matter what happens they'll always love him."

She was angry now as she wiped the tears from her face. She stared at Emma for a while before brushing passed her and walked out the door.

Emma wanted to follow her but she still had to deal with Felix and Henry.

* * *

"Pour me another one." Regina demanded as she sat on a stool at The Rusty Screw.

"You really think Emma would approve of this?" Mulan asked as she poured Regina another shot.

"I don't need anyone's approval." She said a she took the shot, slamming the glass down on the bar, "Another!"

Mulan poured her another drink then move down the bar to help another customer.

Regina turned around in her seat and through hazy eyes saw Aurora dancing by herself on the crowded dance floor. She smirked as she tossed back her shot then slowly got off her stool and pushed through the people to get to Aurora.

She didn't say anything as she put her hands on Aurora and started dancing close to her, swaying with her as their bodies touched.

Aurora smiled at first then Regina's hands started to roam and the next thing she knew Aurora slapped her across the face.

Mulan stepped in, grabbing Regina by the arm, "Hey!"

Regina pulled her arm away and almost lost her balance.

"Get the hell out of here!" Mulan yelled at her.

"Make me!" Regina yelled back.

Mulan took a step and Regina punched her in the face. Blood spewed from Mulan's nose as she cursed.

Regina wasn't finished as she grabbed Mulan by the collar of her shirt and drew her close so her face was within inches of hers.

"I don't like the way you treat Emma." Regina said to her.

Mulan's eyes started to water from the pain, blood trickled down her face and dripped from her chin.

"LET HER GO REGINA!" Emma yelled as she stepped into the bar and saw what was going on.

Regina turned and looked at Emma, fired burned in her eyes as she clenched her fists around the fabric of Mulan's shirt.

"Let her go now!" Emma commanded as she got closer.

Regina never broke eye contacted with Emma as she pushed Mulan back, letting her go.

Mulan fell to the floor and Aurora was by her side in a flash.

Emma reached behind her and pulled out her cuffs. She went over to Regina and turned her around slowly.

"You have the right to remain silent…" She said as she cuffed Regina's hands behind her back.


	8. Chapter 8

Neither woman said a word as Emma took Regina by the arm and led her into the Sheriff station. She opened the cell door and Regina stepped inside.

Emma took off the handcuffs and closed the cell door as Regina went and sat on the bed.

"Felix's mother came and got him 10 minutes ago." David told Emma, "I gave them the paperwork for his court date."

Emma didn't say anything just nodded as she sat down at her desk. She looked over at Henry who was still sitting on the floor with his back against the wall and his knees drawn to his chest.

He looked at her.

"She's not coming is she?" He asked quietly.

"No, Henry I'm sorry but she's not." Emma told him.

He put his head down on his knees and Emma knew he was crying.

"So, what are we going to do with her?" David asked Emma with a small head nod in Regina's direction.

Emma looked over at Regina who had her head in her hands as she sat on her bed.

"I'll see if I can get Mulan to drop the charges on her." Emma told him as she got up, "Keep an eye on them while I'm gone."

Henry scooted over to the bars that separated the two cells.

"What'd you do this time?" He asked Regina quietly.

Regina got up from her bed and sat down on the floor next to the bars, "I got drunk, lost my temper and I hit someone."

"Why do you keep hanging around with Felix?" Regina asked him.

He sighed, "He's my friend."

"He's not your friend Henry. He's using you and he's getting you into trouble." Regina told him, "He doesn't even care that you don't have a home to go to anymore."

"Well you're like what? 50? Why do you get drunk and hit people?" He asked her getting angry.

"50?" Regina asked offended, "Hey, we're not talking about me. We're talking about you."

Henry sighed as he scooted away from Regina, "I don't want to talk anymore."

"That's fine you don't have to talk." Regina said, "But you have to know that Felix and this other kid, they aren't good for you. The first moment of trouble and they bail on you that's not what friends do."

She looked at him, "You have to ask yourself, was it worth it? And if the answer is no then it's time to start making some changes."

Meanwhile Emma was at the hospital in Mulan's room trying to talk to her.

"She broke my nose!" Mulan yelled at Emma.

"Aurora hit her first." Emma said to her.

"That's because she was groping her." Mulan said.

"They were dancing." Emma said.

Mulan's eyes narrowed, "You want me to drop the charges don't you?"

"She was drunk and having a bad night Mulan." Emma said to her, "Cut her some slack and I'll pay for your hospital visit."

"Why?" Mulan asked.

"Why what?"

"Why would you do this for her?" She asked, "Why come here and plead with me to keep her out of more trouble?"

As if a lightbulb came on Mulan smiled, "You like her."

Emma shifted on her feet and stuck her hands in the pockets of her jacket.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Emma said to her.

"Come on Emma, we used to be friends." Mulan told her, "I think I know you a little better than that."

"I'm not here to talk about me Mulan." Emma said, "I just need to know if you're going to press charges."

Aurora came into the room with an ice pack and handed it to Mulan without saying a word to Emma.

"I won't press charges." Mulan told her.

"What?" Aurora asked surprised then looked at Emma, "What did you say to her?"

Mulan took Aurora's hand, "It's okay."

"No, it's not." Aurora said, "She assaulted you!"

Mulan looked at her, "Let it go okay?"

Aurora nodded then glared at Emma.

"Thank you." Emma said to Mulan, "I mean it."

Mulan gave her a small smile then Emma left and headed back to the station.

* * *

When Emma got back to the station she saw that Henry was finally on his bed and sleeping.

Regina was still sitting on the floor staring at Emma through the bars.

"You can go home now David." Emma told him.

"Are you sure?" He asked and Emma nodded.

Once he was gone Emma went over to the cabinet and got out an extra blanket. She opened up the door to Henry's cell and covered him up. She closed his door and locked it before stepping over to Regina's cell and looked down at her.

"What happened tonight?" Emma asked her, "All that stuff you said to Granny, what was that about?"

"Guess you're not the only one with abandonment issues." Regina said as she got up slowly and moved to the other side of her cell.

"Henry's going to be fine." Emma told her as she followed Regina, "Don't worry about him."

Regina looked over her shoulder at the boy then back at Emma, "I know how easy it is to give up on yourself after everyone else has given up on you."

"Don't let that happen to him." Regina told her, "Don't let him give up."

"I won't." Emma promised her.

"I'm not going back to that old lady's place either. I will rot in jail I don't really care." Regina told her.

"That might not be up to you." Emma told her. She then stepped in front of Regina, "You know you could have gotten into some serious shit if Mulan pressed charges?"

"What do you mean 'If' she pressed charges?" Regina asked, "Of course she's going to press charges."

"She's not." Emma told her.

Regina tilted her head, "What'd you have to do?"

"Don't worry about it." Emma told her.

"You make a deal with a devil and then tell me not to worry about it?" Regina asked then scoffed, "Yeah okay."

"Just don't make me regret it." Emma told her.

"I won't."

Emma quietly rolled out her cot and started to set it up.

"You're staying here?" Regina asked.

"I don't think either of you should be alone tonight." Emma told her.

In the morning when Henry and Regina woke up they found Emma gone and David sitting at his desk reading the paper.

"Hey Deputy Dingleberry, where's Emma?" Regina asked as she stood up and stretched.

"Emma's at the courthouse right now. She'll be back soon." David told her, "I'm going to go get you two some breakfast so behave till I get back."

Emma got back to the station before David. She put the files she was carrying down on her desk then looked over at Regina and Henry.

"Okay listen up." She said as she went over to them, "Henry you have community service which you will be serving at Mary Margaret's class for 2 hours every weekday after school."

He was going to speak up but Emma help up a hand, "Not finished."

"You will go to school, go to your community service then you will come right home." Emma told him, "No phone, no TV and no internet unless it's for school. You will do chores."

"Did Granny take me back?" Henry asked her.

"No." Emma told him.

"Then where am I going?" He asked, "Is the judge sending me to a group home in Boston?"

He looked scared as he let go of the bars and sat down on his bed.

"No." Emma told him, "You're coming to live with me."

He stood up and was back at the bars, "What?"

"I've got temporary custody of you which means you'll be living with me for the time being." Emma told him, "Is that okay with you?"

Henry smiled, "Yeah it's okay."

"Good." Emma said then she turned to Regina who was also smiling.

"Now as for you, the judge must like you or something because he changed your work detail." Emma told her.

"Instead of working at the diner you will now be spending the mornings with Mary Margaret in her class room before helping me during the after school program." Emma said, "Everything else about your community service will stay the same."

"What about where I live?" Regina asked.

"Now that was a problem." Emma said, "You can't stay in the jail here because we'll need the cells."

"The judge agreed to allow you to stay at an apartment provided you pay all your expenses."

"Sounds good to me." Regina told her.

"Not so fast." Emma said, "You have to be fitted with an ankle monitor."

Regina's shoulders slumped and she frowned, "Really?"

"Yes and Graham is unfortunately out of town at the moment."

"Who the hell is Graham?" Regina asked.

"He works for the court." Emma told her, "And he's a part time bounty hunter."

"So if he's not around then where do I go?" Regina asked.

"You'll come home with me." Emma told her.

Regina couldn't hide her smile.

Emma put up a hand, "There's some rules you have to follow."

"Let me guess, No phone, no TV and no internet unless it's for school. And I will do chores." Regina said still smiling.

"Among other things but we'll work that out later." Emma told her just as David came into the station with two big brown bags.

"Who's hungry?" He asked.

"Oh I'm famished." Regina said still grinning and Emma rolled her eyes.

After breakfast Emma took both Regina and Henry to her 2 story 3 bedroom house.

"I took the liberty of getting your things from Granny's." Emma told them both as she opened the hood of her Volkswagen.

They grabbed their things and followed Emma into her house. She went upstairs, "This is your room." She said to Regina then walked down the hall, "And here's yours, Henry."

"I'm just down the hall there." She said as she pointed to a closed door at the end of the hall.

"Get your things settled then I'm taking you both to the school." Emma told them as she went down stairs.

Emma walked Henry to his class then she and Regina headed to the front office. She spoke with an older woman behind the counter then they waited.

"Go sit over there and stay out of the way." Emma told Regina who gave her a look.

"Please." Emma said.

Regina went and sat down in one of the chairs against the far wall.

Moments later Felix and Peter came into the office and stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Emma.

She stepped up to them, "I am only going to say this once and I hope for your sake it sticks."

"Stay away from Henry. Don't talk to him, don't look at him. Don't pretend he's your friend." Emma told them, "If I find out you've been giving him any kind of trouble so help me God I will do all I can to make your lives hell."

She looked them both in the eyes, "Do you understand me?"

They both stood in front of her without saying a word.

"Boys, I'm going to need verbal confirmation that you understand what I am telling you." She said to them.

"Yes Sheriff, we understand." They both said to her.

"Good." Emma said with a small smile, "Now get back to class."

She looked over at Regina, "Let's go."

Regina got up and followed Emma out of the office, a proud smile on her face.

"Be good and please don't make anyone cry." Emma said to Regina as they stood outside of Mary Margaret's kindergarten classroom.

"Does that include the teacher?" Regina asked.

"Especially the teacher."

"You ruin all of my fun. I hope you know that." Regina said as she opened the door and went inside.

An hour after Emma got to the station she got a call from the school, not bothering to listen fully on what it was about she rushed down there and went straight into the principal's office.

And there sat Regina.

"It wasn't my fault."

Emma didn't say a word till they got back to the station.

"What the hell did you do that made her cry and have to leave for the day?" Emma asked Regina as she sat behind her desk.

"The hamster died." Regina told her.

"Did you kill it?" Emma asked, "Oh God please tell me you didn't kill it."

"No, I didn't kill it!" Regina said, "Geez!"

"Well what happened?"

"I told her the hamster died and she started bawling her eyes out." Regina told her.

Emma looked confused. She knew Mary Margaret was an animal lover but she didn't expect for her to have a nervous breakdown over a small rodent.

"David." Regina said to Emma.

"What? What about David?"

"That was the name of the hamster." Regina said.

"Oh my God." Emma realized.

"Yeah I told her David had died and she thought I meant your Deputy at first." Regina explained, "I told her I meant the hamster but it was too late and she was too far gone after that."

"She almost fainted." Regina added, "I had to usher her out the door before her blubbering freaked out the kids."

Emma sighed, "Am I going to have to smooth things over with her so you can go back?"

"No." Regina told her, "The principal understood after I explained but he told me perhaps I shouldn't come in tomorrow."

Emma let out a chuckle, "Yeah that's probably for the best."

After work Emma and Regina picked Henry up from his community service then they went home.

"Get upstairs and start on your homework." Emma told Henry who didn't even argue as he climbed the stairs and went to his room.

"Now, as for you." Emma said as she turned to Regina, "You wouldn't happen to know how to cook would you?"

* * *

"I know it's not much but it's what I could find." Regina said to them as she brought out a green salad and placed it on the table with the pan-roasted chicken and rice pilaf.

"It looks really good." Henry said as he spooned some rice onto this plate.

After dinner Henry washed all the dishes, dried them and put them away before he took out the trash.

"Anything else I can do?" He asked Emma.

"I think that's it for now." Emma told him.

He went upstairs, took a shower and got into his pajamas before he grabbed one of his books to read.

Later as Emma watched TV, Regina went upstairs and knocked on Henry's door.

He called out for her to come in and she did.

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." She said reading the title of his book out loud, "Doing a little light reading huh?"

She sat on the edge of his bed and he put a book mark in the book before closing it and looking at her.

"So how are you doing?" Regina asked him, "I mean I know it's probably a little rough being in a new place with new people."

"Emma's not new people. I like her and she's the only one that looks out for me." Henry told her, "Till you came around."

Regina smiled at him, "You're a good kid Henry with a good and trusting heart and I hope you know that."

He smiled at her, "Thanks."

"Any time." She said to him.

A little later Emma went upstairs to see Henry putting his books up on the book shelf.

"Hey, just wanted to see if you needed anything before bed." She said.

"No, I think I'm okay." He said to her as he looked around his room.

Emma nodded and turned to leave.

"Thank you for taking me in." He said to her and she turned around.

"You don't have to thank me Henry." Emma told him.

"I do." He told her, "When Granny wouldn't take me back I was scared. I didn't know what was going to happen to me and then you saved me. You took me in when you didn't have to and that means a lot to me."

Without hesitating he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug, "So thank you."

Emma closed her eyes and gave him a squeeze, "You're welcome Henry."

She waited for him to get into bed before she turned off his light and closed his door.

She found Regina downstairs sitting on the couch flipping through the channels on the TV and she sat down next to her.

Regina looked over at her and saw the smile on her face, "He hugged you huh?"

And Emma's smile got wider.

* * *

It was amazing the routine they all fell into living together. Regina and Henry went to school and Emma to work. After community service Regina and Henry would go home and while they waited for Emma, Henry would do his chores or his homework then help Regina with dinner.

"How do you even have money for books?" Regina asked as the three of them walked through the bookstore.

"I get an allowance." He told her and Regina looked at Emma.

"No, you are not getting an allowance too." Emma said as they went down the Fantasy/Science Fiction aisle.

They were at the store for almost an hour when Regina lost track of both Henry and Emma.

She almost considered having customer service page them both but she spotted Henry in the children's section reading to a couple of smaller kids. She smiled then went to find Emma.

She found her sitting in one of the oversized chairs, her reading glasses on as she thumbed through a book.

"What are you reading?" Regina asked as she sat down in the chair across from her.

"A book." Emma said not looking up from the pages.

"Wow, really? They have those things here?" Regina asked sarcastically.

Emma smiled then showed her the front of the book.

"The Catcher in the Rye huh?" Regina asked.

"It's a classic." Emma said.

"I know that." Regina said, "I do know how to read."

Emma looked at her, "Really? So that means you can actually read the speed limit signs."

Regina smiled, "Yes, but it's a little hard to do if you're speeding passed them."

* * *

On the weekend they decided to go to a movie, one Henry chose.

"What are we going to see?" Emma asked him.

"Maleficent." He told her.

"Is that the Snow White movie?" Emma asked.

"It's Sleeping Beauty." Regina told her.

"Oh okay good" She said as she stepped up to the ticket booth, "Because honestly Snow White annoyed me with all her perky cheerfulness."

Once inside they went to the snack counter and ordered.

"I think you have more food then Henry does." Regina said to Emma as she followed her into the theater.

"I like overly priced candy and popcorn." Emma said, "Sue me."

After the movie they went home.

Henry was in bed reading when Emma popped in, "Hey kid, lights out in 10 minutes."

"So is this what it's like?" He asked her.

Emma went into his room and sat down on his bed, "What do you mean?"

"Is this what it's like to have a family?" He asked her.

"I don't really know." Emma said. She was at a loss for words.

"Well if it is, then I like it." He told her then hugged her.

He snuggled down into bed and Emma stood up and covered him up, "Good night Henry."

"Good night Emma."


	9. Chapter 9

To celebrate their one week anniversary of living together Regina decided to cook a special dinner for them all.

They all sat down and before they began to eat Regina cleared her throat, "I just wanted to say that this week has been incredible."

She looked over at Emma and smiled, "Thank you for giving me a place in your home."

"Yeah me too." Henry said with a smile.

Emma blushed.

"Okay we better shut up now before she turns as red as a tomato." Regina said to Henry, who laughed.

After dinner, Henry helped Regina clean up then took out the trash before he said good night to Emma and went upstairs.

Regina finished up in the kitchen then went out into the living room and sat down on the couch next to Emma, their shoulders touching.

"Why don't you just sit in my lap?" Emma asked sarcastically.

"If you insist." Regina said as she started to get up.

Emma pulled her back down next to her, "When are you going to stop flirting with me?"

"When I don't have to anymore." Regina told her, "Maybe when you stop being as dense as your deputy and realize I like you."

Emma ignored the last comment, "So how do you think Henry's doing?"

"I mean how do you think he's adjusting?" Emma asked.

"I think he's doing pretty well." Regina told her, "Just keep an eye on him so he doesn't withdraw from other people."

Emma looked over at her, "Personal experience?"

Regina nodded.

"But what you did for him, taking him in and making sure he knows someone wants him, that's exactly what he needs right now." She told Emma.

"You make it sound like I'm doing something out of the ordinary." Emma said.

"It is. Not a lot of people would take in a teenager who's gotten into trouble." Regina told her, "All they see is a messed up kid not worth saving."

"I know what it's like to feel unwanted and for people to give up on me." Emma said, "And I won't be one of those people to Henry."

Regina smiled at her determination to look after Henry, "He likes you, you know?"

"He likes you too." Emma said to her.

"What about you?"

"I like him too." Emma said.

Regina rolled her eyes and Emma smiled as she continued to watch TV.

"What the hell are you watching?" Regina asked.

"It's a fairy-tale show." Emma told her. She pointed at the TV, "That's the princess and that is her Knight in shining armor."

"Why can't the Knight in shining armor be a women and she rescues the princess?" Regina asked watching the silly TV show.

Emma smiled and looked over at her, "Now that's a show I could get into."

Regina returned the smile and Emma looked into Regina's dark eyes.

Regina made her move as she leaned in and kissed Emma softly on the lips.

Emma pushed her away and stood up, "What are you doing?"

"Come on Emma, it hasn't been that long has it?" Regina asked looking up at her with a small smile.

Emma shook her head, "You—We—this can't happen."

Regina stood up when she saw the confusion on Emma's face. She took her hand, "Hey, what's going on?"

"This was a mistake." Emma said, panicked. She withdrew her hand and took a step back, "Maybe you should stay somewhere else."

"What?" Regina asked shocked.

"Maybe the judge will let you stay in an apartment without being monitored till Graham gets back. I'll talk to him tomorrow and get it all worked out." Emma said as she headed for the stairs.

Regina followed her and grabbed her gently by the arm to stop her from going upstairs, "I'm not Aurora."

Emma looked at her confused, "What?"

"I'm not Aurora." Regina repeated.

"No. You're not." Emma said, "You're a criminal."

Regina let go of her arm, her feelings hurt she stared at Emma.

Their eyes stayed locked for only a few seconds before Emma turned and went upstairs.

* * *

In the morning Emma woke up and a part of her felt bad for the way she'd treated Regina but she knew that whatever was happening between them needed to stop before it went any further.

She got out of bed and put her robe on. She knocked on Henry's door to wake him then walked down the hall to Regina's room.

She stood outside the closed door and knocked quietly, "Regina?"

She knocked again. When she didn't get a response she opened the door and looked in.

Regina's bed was perfectly made and Emma knew Regina hadn't slept in it.

She rushed down stairs to see if Regina was on the couch but she wasn't there either. She pulled out her cellphone and called Regina's phone and got no answer.

"Son of a bitch." She cursed quietly under her breath.

Emma went back upstairs and got dressed and she took Henry to school. She told him that Regina had something she needed to take care of and that's why she was gone so early in the morning.

She then went to Mary Margaret's classroom and told her that Regina wouldn't be in today but would be back tomorrow to resume her community service.

After that she headed to the station and found David sitting at his desk.

"Hey Boss." He said as she came in then he saw the look on her face, "Whoa, what's wrong?"

"I think Regina took off last night. I need you to go look for her but keep it quiet. Don't call me on the radio." Emma told him then headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"I have to go talk to the judge and lie to cover her ass and mine." She said as she went out the door.

Before going to the judge Emma made one quick stop at the diner to talk to Ruby.

"Hey, have you seen Regina this morning?" She asked quietly as she sat at the counter.

"Well yeah." Ruby said, "She crashed at my place last night. She said you two had some kind of fight."

"Is she still at your place?" Emma asked.

"No. I took her over to the loft over on Miner Street, the one that's been up for rent." Ruby told her, "After that she said she had to get to her community service."

"Okay thanks Ruby. I'll talk to you later." Emma said before leaving.

She already knew Regina didn't show up for her community service and if she rented an apartment then she knew Regina didn't skip town. So where the hell was she?

Emma headed over to the courthouse and waited almost an hour before she finally got to see the Judge.

* * *

After Emma told the judge that things weren't working out with Regina staying with her and that she'd already found an apartment to rent. She told the judge that Regina would be fine staying there without a monitor till Graham got back into town. He told her that would be fine as long as she promised to stop and make few surprise visits.

Emma agreed then left the courthouse. She got into her car and started over to the station as she called David on her phone, "Anything?"

"No. But I haven't checked the woods yet." He told her.

"I'll do it." Emma told him as she made a U-Turn, "Just go back to the station and take care of the calls. But if you hear anything about her, call me immediately."

She hung up and drove to the woods. It was a popular place for the teenagers to go especially when they found some of the old abandoned hunting cabins to have parties at.

She searched 3 of them and found nothing. She pulled out her phone to call David as she approached the last cabin but saw she had no cell reception.

She slipped her phone back into her pocket before walking up the steps of the cabin. She noticed the door was ajar. She pushed the door open and called out, "Regina?"

She hesitated a moment then went inside. She found Regina, who was sitting on sheet draped couch in the living room reading a book.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Emma asked.

"Reading a book, Sheriff." Regina said not bothering to look at her.

Emma opened her mouth to say something but she didn't know what she should say first.

"You—what?—I don't-." Emma got frustrated and snatched the book from Regina's hand and flung it across the room.

"HEY!" Regina said getting to her feet, "That's a classic!"

"I don't give a shit." Emma said, "What the fuck are you doing? You sneak out of the house last night, don't show up for your community service. You don't answer when I call you and now you're hanging out in an old hunting cabin reading a book? Are you fucking kidding me right now?"

"I'm done kidding with you Sheriff Swan." Regina told her, "From now on, it's strictly business."

Emma couldn't tell if Regina was being serious or not.

Regina held out her wrists, "You should probably arrested me and inform the judge that I skipped out on my community service."

Emma was mad now.

"Let's just go." She said then turned and opened the door.

They walked silently to Emma's car that was park on a service road and she drove them back to the station.

"If you're not going to arrest me then why am I here?" Regina asked.

"You're here to do your community service." Emma told her then handed her a stack of files, "Get to work."

Emma sat down at her desk and called David to let him know that she'd found Regina.

* * *

"I need to get my things from your house." Regina said at the end of the day when Emma was locking up the station.

"Fine." Emma said as they went to her car, "I have to get Henry from the school first."

When Henry saw Regina standing by the Bug with the door open and the seat forward he smiled.

"Hi." He said as he climbed into the back seat.

Regina got back in the car and Emma drove them to her house.

"Go start your homework and I'll get dinner going." Emma told Henry as soon as they got through the front door.

"Okay." He said then went upstairs.

"I'll just get my stuff." Regina said then started for the stairs.

Emma stopped her, "Are we going to talk about last night?"

Regina stopped and looked at her, "No."

She went upstairs to her room and started pulling her things from the drawers.

"What are you doing?"

Regina turned to see Henry standing in her doorway.

"Packing." Regina told him then continued stuffing things into one of her bags.

"Why?" He asked.

"This was only temporary." Regina told him, "And now I have my own place."

"But you were only here a week." Henry said disappointed.

Regina sighed and sat down on her bed and called him over to her. He walked over and stood in front of her.

"You have my cellphone number. Any time you need me for anything just call." Regina told him, "I'm still going to be around all the time. I just won't be living here with you."

"But if you can't make it here for more than a week with her then what about me?"

"Henry, Emma likes you and you're a good kid." Regina told him.

"She likes you too. I know she does." Henry told her.

"Just promise you'll give Emma a chance and that you'll do your best." Regina said to him.

"Sure. I promise." He said sadly then did something unexpected.

He leaned over and hugged her before letting go and headed back to his room where she heard him shut his door quietly.

Regina finished grabbing her things and headed back downstairs.

Emma came out of the kitchen, "If you wait a minute I can give you a ride."

"Ruby's coming to get me." Regina said and as if on cue a car horn honked outside, "See you at work tomorrow Sheriff Swan."

She left before Emma could say anything.

* * *

For the next week it was all business. Regina only spoke to Emma when she had to. There was no more flirting or sexual innuendos. No one mentioned going out for a beers or a bull rides. They'd talk briefly about Henry or Regina's hours then it was right back to work.

"Anything else before I go Sheriff Swan?" Regina asked she set a small stack of files on the edge of Emma's desk.

"Stop this." Emma said frustrated, "Just stop."

"Stop what?"

"This 'I'm all about serving my time and nothing more' attitude." Emma told her.

"Isn't this what you wanted from me in the first place?" Regina asked, "I mean, I am a criminal."

Emma sighed, "Regina, I'm sorry I said that."

"I bet you're sorry I kissed you too." Regina said, "Man you couldn't have pushed me away any faster."

"You don't understand." Emma said to her.

"Why don't you explain it to me?" Regina asked, her arms folded across her chest.

Emma sighed as she got up from her desk, "I like you but whatever has been happening between us can't go any further."

"I like you too so I don't see the problem." Regina told her.

"Of course you don't." Emma sighed.

Emma sat down on the edge of her desk, "You've got 2 months left on your community service then you're done. There's no reason for you to stay in town."

"That's what you're so worked up about? That once my community service is up I'll hop on my bike and head out first chance I get?" Regina asked.

"Isn't that what you're going to do?" Emma asked.

"I don't know Emma." Regina said throwing her hands up in the air, "That's 2 months from now."

"Exactly. What if we start dating and when your sentence is over you've decided that you've had enough of me and Storybrooke so you just leave?"

"Emma, I'm not going to sit here and make you a bunch of promises." Regina told her, "All I want you to know is, I like you and I'm hoping that you'll give me the chance to be the kind of person that wants to stick around."

"I don't know." Emma said, "I have Henry to think about now and he likes you and if things don't work out then where does that leave him?"

"Don't use the kid as an excuse to not try something." Regina said, "I understand your need to protect Henry but you're mostly trying to protect yourself here."

"Can you blame me?" Emma asked.

"No but you can't blame me for all the people that have hurt you in the past either." Regina told her.

"You're right." Emma said.

Regina's jaw dropped, "I'm sorry what was that? Could you please repeat that? I think maybe my ears are deceiving me."

"I said you're right."

"That's what I like to hear." Regina said, "Now another thing I'd like to hear is that you'll give me a chance and go out on a date with me."

Emma gave her a look, "You want to go on a date with me?"

"Yes I do." Regina told her.

Emma pretended to be thinking as she stroked her chin, "Hmmm."

"My offer is for tomorrow night." Regina said, "Take it or leave it."

"Okay." Emma said to her, "But I'm giving you a chance Regina please don't make me regret it."

"Oh you most certainly won't regret it." Regina told her, smiling.

Emma picked Henry up from school and they went home. He went right upstairs and started his homework without being asked.

A while later Emma knocked on his door and went into his bedroom.

He was sitting at his desk with his math book open and his notebook out.

"Need any help?" She asked him.

He smiled at her, "No, I think I got it."

She sat down on the end of his bed and looked around his room.

"I probably should have repainted this room." Emma said as she looked at the plain white walls, "It needs a little color or something."

She looked at him, "What color should we paint it?"

Henry looked over at her as she got up from his bed and went to touch the wall, "Something light but not too crazy, you know?"

"Or what about posters?" Emma asked, "You could put up posters I wouldn't mind. Just don't use tape, tape peels off the paint."

"What's wrong?" He asked her.

She turned to him, "Hmm?"

"You're babbling. So what's wrong?" He asked, "Am I being sent away?"

"What? No, Henry you're not being sent away." She told him as she went and sat back down on his bed.

She patted the spot next to her and he came and sat down, "I'm trying to give Regina a second chance."

"That's good." He told her, "She deserves it."

"It's going to be a little different now." She said.

"Because she likes you and you like her?" Henry asked then chuckled, "I think it's cool."

"She asked me out on a date." Emma told him.

"And?" He asked, not seeing the problem.

"And I told her that I'd go but now I don't think I should." She told him.

"Because of me?" Henry asked then gave her a funny look, "Don't make me the reason you won't try."

She looked at him, "I don't want you to get hurt if whatever this is doesn't work out."

"We'll figure it out if it ever comes to that." Henry told her.

She smiled at him, "When'd you get to be so smart?"

"I think right around the time you took me in."

"Oh okay flattery won't get you anywhere." She told him as she stood up.

"Could it maybe allow me to choose what we have for dinner tonight?" He asked with a grin.

Emma laughed, "Sure."

* * *

Emma parked her Bug out in front of Papa Figaro's Pizza and she and Henry went inside. They stood in line and waited to order.

"Fancy meeting you here."

Emma and Henry turned around to see Regina standing behind them with a smile on her face.

Henry immediately went in for a hug and Regina gave him a tight squeeze before he let go.

"Next!" the girl behind the counter called out.

"Go order." Emma told him, giving him the cash.

She and Regina moved out of the line and sat down at a small table.

"What are you doing here?" Emma asked.

"I'm stalking you and the kid." Regina joked.

"You must have flunked Stalking 101 because I think the whole point of stalking is to not be seen." Emma joked back.

Regina smiled, "I'm getting some pizza then going back to my place to watch old reruns of cop shows."

"Trying to figure out how to outsmart us huh?" Emma asked.

"I have to keep you guys on your toes somehow." Regina told her.

Henry came over, sat down with them and handed Emma the change.

"Are you going to eat with us?" He asked Regina.

"Not tonight. I have a medium Hawaiian pizza with my name on it and I don't want you guys watching me while I devour it. It may scare you off." Regina said as she stood up, "Enjoy your pizza."

"Medium Hawaiian for Mills!" The girl at the counter called out.

"That's me." She said then looked at Emma, "I'll see you tomorrow night."

"I look forward to it." Emma said.

"Me too." Regina said smiling.


	10. Chapter 10

Emma got Henry off to school, made a quick pit stop at the diner before going over to the station.

"Good morning David." Emma said as she placed a little bag and a cup of coffee on his desk.

He looked at her, "Wow, thanks."

He opened the bag and smiled as he pulled out the Bear Claw donut, "My favorite!"

Emma saw how happy and excited he was over a donut and cup of coffee that she smiled.

"So what's got you in such a good mood this morning?" David mumbled with his mouth full.

Emma just gave him a shrug and smiled, "Can't I do something nice for my favorite deputy?"

David, mouth full of another bite of donut looked around, "But I'm your only deputy."

"That you are David." Emma said as she sat down, "That you are."

Regina spent all of her morning helping Mary Margaret in her classroom. She helped with crafts, read a story, made sure all the mats were down for nap time. She hung up art work, organized supplies and did everything she could not to strangle the perkiness out of Mary Margaret.

When Regina got to the sheriff station David was out on a call and Emma was at her desk shuffling through files.

"So, are you ready for tonight?" Regina asked as she sat down on the edge of Emma's already cluttered desk.

Emma grabbed at a folder that was half underneath Regina and tugged on it, "I doubt it since you haven't told me where we're going or what I should wear."

Regina shifted her weight and Emma retrieved the folder.

"I'll tell you this much." Regina said, "I plan on wearing my killer leather pants and a pair of ankle high boots."

"Well hello ladies."

Both Emma and Regina looked up to see a man with wavy brown hair and a scruffy beard. He wore a dress shirt, tie, vest and leather jacket and smiled like a jackass as he stared at Regina.

"Who the hell are you?" Regina asked, pissed that her time with Emma was interrupted.

"Graham." Emma said as she stood up and went to shake his hand.

"So where's this prisoner of yours?" He asked looking towards the cells, "I have a nice shiny anklet just for her."

Regina raised her hand, "That would be for me."

"Really?" He asked cocking an eyebrow. His eyes travelled up Regina's toned legs and stopped at the hem of her skirt.

Regina glared at him.

Emma glared at him.

"How about you get her hooked up now?" Emma asked.

"Sure thing missy." He said as he went over to the desk Regina was sitting on and placed his leather bag in the chair.

He opened up the bag and grabbed the monitor, "Which leg do you want it on?"

"I don't care." Regina said.

"Suit yourself." He said and grabbed her right ankle, his thumb brushed across it.

Emma cleared her throat behind him.

He clamped the device on her and tightened the strap, "You have a very nice ankle."

"Yeah thanks." Regina said as she hopped off the desk and smoothed down her skirt.

"Do not tamper with the device. Do not leave town." Graham told her, "If you are out of bounds the monitor will beep and you will have 1 minute to return to the boundaries set. If you fail to return the sheriff station will get an immediate alert and they will come after you."

Regina looked over at Emma, "Is that right? If I take off and you'll come after me?"

"In a heartbeat." Emma said with a smile.

Graham looked between both of them and shook his head, "Chicks." He muttered under his breath.

"Anything else?" Graham asked Emma.

"Nope." She said, "You can leave now."

Graham looked uncomfortable as the two women stared at him, waiting for him to leave.

"Uh yeah okay." He said then grabbed his bag, "See you around Sheriff."

Once he was out the door Regina sat down at David's desk, "That guy was giving off some serious creeper vibes."

"He's an okay guy." Emma said as she sat back down at her desk.

"I bet he's dated every woman in this town." Regina said.

"You'd lose that bet." Emma told her with a smile, "He never dated me."

Emma looked at Regina's ankle monitor, "I think that's going to put a bit of a damper on your plan to wear your boots and leather pants tonight."

Regina gave her a smile, "Don't worry about it. I always have a backup plan."

* * *

Later Emma picked Henry up from school and they went home.

"What are you going to wear? Where are you going?" Henry asked question after question.

"Henry, all she told me before we left work was to wear something nice and comfortable but not too comfortable

"What the hell does that mean?" He asked her.

"Don't swear." She said to him then looked back into her closet, "And I have no freaking clue."

Henry stopped bugging her and went to start his homework.

After her shower, she dried off then got dressed in a pair of snug dark blue jeans, boots and a dark red button up shirt. She put in small diamond earrings in each ear lobe before taking a step back and admiring herself in the mirror.

She called out for Henry who came into her room.

"Whoa." He said staring at her.

"Hair up?" She asked him as she put her hair up, then dropped it, "Or down?"

"Down for sure." He told her.

"Good." Emma said as she put on her red leather jacket, "Now, we wait for your babysitter."

"A babysitter?" He whined, "But I'm 13. I don't need a babysitter."

"I was 13 once too and trust me, you need a babysitter." Emma said as they went downstairs.

"Who'd you get?" He asked.

"Jefferson." Emma told him.

"He's old." He said to her.

"Hey, be nice." Emma said, knowing that Jefferson was only 2 years older than she was. "Besides he's bringing Grace with him."

"Oh." He said smiling, "Okay then."

The doorbell rang and Henry opened the door to Jefferson and his daughter Grace.

"I hope I'm not too early." Jefferson said to Emma.

"You're right on time." She said as Henry let them in.

"I brought board games!" Grace said and Emma smiled as Henry took them from her and they went into the living room.

"You have my number if there's a problem." Emma said to Jefferson.

"Don't worry we're going to have a great time." Jefferson told her, "Just make sure you have a great time too."

She smiled at him then called out, "See you later Henry!"

"Bye." He yelled out.

Emma drove to Regina's place, knocked on the door and waited.

And waited.

She knocked a second time.

Finally Regina opened the door and Emma couldn't take her eyes off of her.

She was dressed in black jeans, a navy blue blouse with the top 3 buttons undone, high heels and her leather jacket.

"Would you like some help picking your jaw up off the ground?" Regina asked.

"I—you look—yeah." Emma muttered.

"You look nice too." Regina said as she closed her door behind her.

Emma blinked a few times to break the stare then looked at Regina and smiled.

"You weren't kidding around about the jeans." Emma said then looked down to see that her jeans barely fit over the monitor on her ankle.

"I had to wear boot cut jeans." Regina said as they got into Emma's car, "But it was worth it especially the way these jeans make my ass look."

Regina looked over at Emma, "You'll get a preview of that later."

Emma shook her head, "Where are we going?"

"Drive forth Sheriff Swan to the Napping Cow Steakhouse!" Regina commanded.

The waitress seated them by a window and handed them each a menu before leaving.

Emma stared at her menu and Regina stared at her.

The waitress came back and Emma ordered shrimp scampi with linguine and Regina ordered a steak with fried pawns. She also ordered a bottle of wine to go with their meal.

"I promise you I'm not trying to get you drunk tonight." Regina told Emma after the waitress left.

"Oh? And what makes tonight so special?"

"We're on an official date." Regina told her with a smile and Emma's cheeks turned pink.

As they waited for their food they talked about Henry and how he was doing. Regina told Emma that he mentions a girl name Grace a lot when they see each other at their community service.

"Should I be worried?" Emma asked.

"I don't think so. Henry's kind of shy." Regina said, "Though you might want to keep an eye on Grace."

"Noted." Emma said.

The waitress brought them their meal and they began to eat.

"Tell me something about yourself." Emma asked as she twirled some pasta onto her fork.

Regina thought for a moment before she said, "I'm an only child."

"Did you ever want siblings?" Emma asked her.

"There were times when I thought maybe if I had an older brother or sister that maybe certain things wouldn't be expected of me." Regina told her, "But when it was just me and my mom, I valued that it was just the two of us."

"It's funny. I don't even know if I have brothers or sisters out there in the world." Emma said, "I don't even know who my parents are but it kind of pisses me off to think they had kids after just giving me away."

"It pisses you off to think you have brothers or sisters?" Regina asked.

"Well yeah. It makes me question a lot of things." Emma asked.

"Such as?"

"Why wasn't I good enough for them to keep? What if they gave their other kids up too? What if they didn't? Do they know about me? And if they do know do they ever wonder about me? What kind of people just leaves a tiny little baby on the side of the road?" Emma asked and Regina could tell she was losing Emma to her thoughts.

"The kind of people you should be thankful aren't in your life Emma." Regina told her as she reached out and took Emma's hand, "You're better off without them. You made a good life for yourself here in Storybrooke. And they have no right to wonder about you or your life."

Emma smiled at her as Regina gave her hand a squeeze, "Thank you."

"No need to thank me for telling you the truth." Regina said to her.

After their dinner, Regina paid and they headed out to the car.

"Thank you for tonight." Emma said, "It was fun."

Regina chuckled, "Night's not over with yet, my dear."

They got into the car and Emma looked at her, "Where to?"

"That's My Cue." Regina told her.

"The pool hall?" Emma asked giving her a look and Regina just nodded and smiled.

They parked in the parking lot and got out.

"You know the story behind the name?" Regina asked.

Emma shook her head as they walked inside.

"Story goes, the owner used to be a struggling actor in New York. He never caught a break and ended up hustling people at pool before making enough money to open up his own place here in Storybrooke." Regina told her.

"Why do you know this?" Emma asked as they both looked over the rack of cue sticks.

Regina smiled as picked a cue stick, "I Google stuff."

"Yeah I bet." Emma said then looked back at the rack, "How do I know what club I need?"

Regina held in a laugh, "First, it's a cue stick not a club." Then she reached over and grabbed one of the sticks and held it out to her, "Try this, it's a 20 and for beginners."

Regina went to the counter to pay before she led Emma over to their table.

"Do you want to break first or should I?" Regina asked as she removed the triangle shaped rack from around the balls.

"Break what?" Emma asked looking around.

Regina shook her head as she grabbed the white cue ball and went to the other end of the table, "How do you live in a town with a pool hall and never play pool?"

"Sorry." Emma said, "Guess I'm too busy, you know policing and stuff like that."

Regina grabbed the small cube of blue chalk and rubbed it on the tip of her cue stick. She put the cue chalk down on the edge of the table then grabbed the cue ball and aimed it towards the balls.

She bent over and Emma noticed just how good Regina's ass looked in her jeans.

Regina aimed with her cue stick and struck the cue ball till it rolled with tremendous force towards the other balls and with a loud cracking sound broke them apart.

The solid purple 4 ball went into one of the corner pockets.

"My turn?" Emma asked stepping up to the table.

"No, I got a ball in." Regina told her, "I'm solids, your stripes."

"I don't look good in stripes." Emma said and Regina laughed as she bent over and aimed at the yellow 1 ball. She took her shot and the ball bounced off the small corner of the pocket and clattered against two other balls.

"Damn." Regina said then looked at Emma, "Okay your shot now."

Emma looked at the table and Regina could tell she seemed overwhelmed.

"Okay so you're stripes so you have a good shot at the striped orange 13 ball." Regina told her as she moved Emma into position behind the cue ball.

"Chalk up your stick." Regina said to her as she handed her the little blue cube.

Emma chalked the tip then put the cube down on the table. She turned back to Regina who grabbed the cue stick and gently blew on the tip then smiled.

"Just getting off—the extra chalk."

She then moved to her side, one hand on Emma's waist and the other on her shoulder, "Now bend over."

Emma looked at her, shocked, "Excuse me?"

Regina smiled, "Lean over? Is that better?"

Emma leaned over the cue stick in her hands. Regina leaned with her and repositioned Emma's hands putting the skinnier end of the cue stick in between Emma's pointer and middle finger, "Now you just slide the cue stick back and forth."

Emma did what she was told.

"Slower." Regina whispered in Emma's ear and her breath caught.

"Okay now, just aim and shoot." Regina told her as she stood up straight to give her room.

Emma pulled back on the stick then shot it forward. The cue ball hit the 13 ball and knocked it with a thud into the side pocket.

"YAY!" Emma yelled as she jumped up and down.

Regina couldn't help but laugh over the joy Emma showed over such a small victory.

"Easy there pool shark." Regina said to her, "You still have 7 balls to clear and that's including the 8 ball."

"I can do that easily." Emma said as she eyed the table.

Every time it was one of their turns they would ask the other questions about their lives.

For instance, Emma learned that Regina's favorite color is red, her favorite fruit is apples but closely followed by strawberries. When Regina was 6 her two front teeth were knocked out when she was thrown from the horse she was riding. By the age of 16 she realized she probably wasn't smart enough to get into medical school so she gave up on being a doctor and then started a year-long rebellious phase that ended with her getting two piercings and one tattoo.

Regina learned that Emma went into law enforcement for the discipline it gives her. She loves the after school program because she can help the kids not make the same kind of mistakes she made. Emma's favorite color is blue. She's not a fan of wearing dresses and she has 2 tattoos that she may or may not show Regina at some point. When she was 20 she tried finding out information about her parents but gave up when she realized if they had cared at all about her they would have done more than just abandon her as a baby. She fell in love at 12 with her best friend Lily who lived in the same foster home as her before Emma was pulled from the home and put into a group home 400 miles away. She never saw Lily again.

"You never looked her up?" Regina asked as she leaned over to take a shot, "I mean they have all kinds of ways now to stalk-I mean find people on the computer and you're a freaking cop you have the means."

Regina missed her shot. Damn it!

"I just thought it was best to move on." Emma told her, "Besides, I don't think Lily loved me the way I loved her."

"Seems to be the story of my life." She said with a bitter laugh then leaned down to take her shot and hit her ball into the corner pocket.

"Maybe you just haven't met the right person yet." Regina said as Emma missed her second shot.

"8 Ball, side pocket." Regina called her last shot, "I make this in and it will be 2 wins Regina, big ol' fat goose egg for Emma."

She leaned over, aimed and hit the cue ball. It connected with the 8 ball and knocked it effortlessly into the side pocket.

"I win." Regina gloated.

"I thought Aurora was the right person for me." Emma said as she watched Regina gather the balls and put them in the green plastic rack.

"Shit happens." Regina told her as she lifted the rack from the balls and grabbed the cue ball.

"Shit happens?" Emma asked, "I thought we were going to be together forever. She cheats on me with my best friend and deputy, breaks my heart and embarrasses me and all you can say is, shit happens?"

"Emma, all I'm trying to tell you is, sometimes what we want the most doesn't work out. Yeah it hurts and it's hard but it's life and we have to learn from it and move on or we're just going to be stuck." Regina told her.

"Now, do you want to break or shall I?" Regina asked changing the subject.

Emma looked at her with a smile, "How about we make this next game interesting?"

"Oh?" Regina asked with an arched eyebrow, "And how do you want to do that?"

Emma stepped into Regina's personal space leaned in and Regina really thought Emma was going to kiss her right there in the middle of the pool hall but instead she took the cue ball from Regina hand.

"100 bucks." Emma said as she placed the cue ball on the table.

"100 bucks what?" Regina asked her.

"100 bucks to the winner." Emma said then leaned over to take aim. She stood back up, "Oh and breakfast every Monday morning for the next 2 months starting tomorrow."

She held out her hand, "Deal?"

Regina thought for a minute then took Emma's hand, "Deal."

"Good." Emma said as she leaned down, aimed and hit the cue ball. It smashed into the other balls knocking two solids into two separate pockets.

Regina stood with her mouth open.

Emma moved around to the cue ball, "This is going to be fun."

* * *

Their date came to an end as Emma walked Regina to her door.

"Thank you for tonight." Emma said as they stood outside Regina's apartment.

"It was my pleasure." Regina smiled at her.

They stood and stared into each other's eyes for a moment before Regina broke eye contact and pulled her keys from her pocket.

Emma cleared her throat and Regina looked at her.

"I believe you're forgetting something." Emma said to her.

Regina smiled, "Ah, your right."

She leaned in and Emma put a hand on Regina's chest and stopped her.

Regina pulled back and gave her a questioning look.

"You owe me 100 bucks." Emma said holding her hand out.

"Really?" Regina asked.

Emma smiled, hand still out.

Regina chuckled and pulled out her wallet before producing a $100 bill and placing it nicely in Emma's hand.

"Thank you." Emma said as she pocketed the money then grabbed Regina by the front of the shirt, pulled her close and kissed her hard on the lips.

She release Regina, pushing her back slightly, "And thank you for that as well."

Regina was a little stunned by the way Emma was acting but she liked it.

Emma turned to leave and half way down the walkway she turned, "Oh and Regina?"

"Yes?"

"Pancakes, sausage, eggs over-easy and coffee with two sugars, one cream." Emma told her with a wink before turning and heading to her car leaving Regina standing outside smiling like an idiot.


	11. Chapter 11

The week following their date Regina was ready to ask Emma out on another one.

"Please let me have my motorcycle back." Regina whined to Emma at the Sheriff station.

"Let me think about it." Emma said as she put a finger to her lips and pretend to be thinking hard, "Umm...no."

"Why not?"

"Your license was taken away. You have fines and you're on an ankle monitor for being a flight risk." Emma told her, "There's no way you're getting your bike back till you pay off your fines and the judge is happy."

"But I'm going to be here another 2 months Emma." Regina told her, "I need something to get around town."

"There's a bicycle shop down the street by Mr. Gold's." Emma suggested as she got up from her desk and headed to the filing room.

Regina sighed and sat down in Emma's chair, "This is stupid! How am I supposed to take you out properly without my own transportation?"

"Next time behave yourself behind on your bike." Emma called out from the other room.

* * *

Emma and Regina went out on 3 more dates in the following 2 weeks and the town was starting to notice a change in Emma.

"Good morning Ruby!" Emma said smiling as she came into the diner and headed to the counter.

"Well, good morning to you too Emma." Ruby said mirroring Emma's smile, "What can I get you?"

"Oh just coffee to go please." Emma said, "Regina will be in later to pick up my breakfast."

Ruby poured coffee into a to-go cup and put a lid on it. She set it on the counter in front of Emma, "You know I gotta say, I don't think I've ever seen you this happy before."

Emma grabbed her coffee cup and just smiled at Ruby as she got up and headed out of the diner.

At the station David hadn't reported in yet so that gave Emma some time to herself.

She sat down and put her feet up on her desk and took a small sip of her coffee. She thought about what Ruby had said, that she'd never seen Emma as happy as she was. It was probably because Emma hadn't been this happy before.

She couldn't believe that someone like Regina could make her feel this way. She honestly didn't think it was possible to let her guard down and let someone in the way she had with Regina. But she was glad she did.

After Aurora had hurt her the way she did she had been cautious with her heart. She'd shut herself off for a while from love and from dating. After a few months Ruby finally coaxed her back into the dating world. She'd only gone on a couple of dates but no one ever seemed right. So she went back to being alone and she was completely fine with it.

That is until Regina Mills sped into her life.

She was hesitant at first and she had every right to be. Regina was fast, loud, flirty and a little over the top at times. She pushed Emma's buttons in every bad way she could and pissed her off more than a couple times.

But eventually the charm, the smile and the sweetness won her over and she gave Regina a chance.

David tripped over the metal garbage can and pulled Emma from her thoughts.

"Geez, are you okay?" Emma asked as she helped him to his feet.

"Yeah." He said as he dusted himself off and smiled at her.

He sat down at his desk, "What were you thinking about that had you smiling?"

"Regina." Emma said without hesitating.

"She's something isn't she?" David said smiling.

"She sure is."

* * *

Regina was doing her best not to remain idle in Mary Margaret's classroom so the perky teacher wouldn't take it as an invitation to come over and talk.

However during nap time Regina wasn't fortunate enough to get away and Mary Margaret settled down in a chair next to Regina.

She leaned over, "How are you and Emma?" She asked in a hushed tone.

"We're just fine." Regina said equally quiet, "Thanks for asking."

"Henry has really flourished living with Emma. I hear he's getting better grades and staying out of trouble." Mary Margaret said, "And he's such a big help here with the little ones."

"Henry's a good kid who made a few bad choices." Regina said, "But he's passed that now."

"What about you?"

"What about me?" Regina asked looking at her.

"Are you passed the bad choices you've made?" Mary Margaret asked.

Regina glared at her, "My choices have nothing to do with you."

Regina stood up and Mary Margaret did as well.

"Emma's my friend and I don't want to see her hurt." Mary Margaret said, "She has to think of Henry too."

"How about you worry about your life and stay out of mine?" Regina said, "And that includes Emma and Henry's."

Regina walked out of the classroom knowing Mary Margaret couldn't leave the kids alone.

"Hey where are you going?"

Regina turned to see Henry coming up the hall behind her. She stopped and turned around, "You know me, I'm out of there as soon as my time is up."

"Are you still coming over for dinner?" He asked.

"Wouldn't miss it." She told him.

"Okay see you at home." He said with a smile before going into Mary Margaret's classroom.

Regina thought about what Mary Margaret said as she walked slowly to the sheriff station.

She didn't like it when people made her feel like she wasn't good enough. She got enough of that from her father over the years. She wasn't going to let anyone else, especially a small town naïve teacher who didn't know her whole story make her feel like shit.

Emma's smile faded when she saw the look on Regina's face, "What's wrong?"

"Ah nothing." Regina told her, "Just doing some heavy thinking."

"About what?" Emma asked as Regina sat down at David's desk.

"Nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about." Regina told her then looked around, "So where's Deputy Dull?"

"Nice way to change the subject." Emma said as she got up from her seat and went to the filing cabinet, "And David is out on a call."

"I see." Regina said as she sat back in his chair and put her feet up on his desk.

Emma walked passed and swiped at her boots knocking her feet down, "Feet off the desk."

Her nose scrunched as she stuck her tongue out at Emma.

"Oh that's mature." Emma said as she sat down at her desk and opened up a file.

Regina smiled then got up and grabbed the stack of folders sitting on the corner of Emma's desk, "Shall I file these for you Sheriff Swan?"

Emma looked up at her and smiled, "Yes, thank you Ms. Mills."

Regina snorted as she carried the stack of files into the filing room and got to work.

After work Emma and Regina went to pick up Henry from the school then they all went back to Emma's.

Henry sat at the dining room table and did his homework while Emma and Regina were in the kitchen.

"You know I thought when you invited me over for dinner I was going to be eating not cooking." Regina said as she chopped up a green bell pepper.

"Henry's the only one that eats for free around here." Emma said as she sautéed some sliced onions.

Regina walked up behind Emma, getting close to her as she scrapped the bell pepper into the pan Emma was cooking in.

She put the cutting board down on the counter and moved closer to Emma. She pressed against her, a hand on her waist.

"What are you doing?" Emma asked with a chuckle.

"Just making sure you're doing it right." Regina said.

Emma turned her head and looked at Regina, "Am I?"

Regina kissed her on the lips, "Oh yeah."

Emma bumped Regina away with her hip, "Behave yourself."

"Never." Regina said with a chuckle as she went to grab some things out of the refrigerator.

After dinner Henry helped Regina wash the dishes before he went upstairs to his room to read before bed.

He came downstairs later to find Regina and Emma curled up on the couch together watching TV.

"Just wanted to say goodnight." He said smiling.

Both women looked over, "Good night Henry."

After he went back upstairs Regina sighed.

"I guess I should get going." She said as she started to move but Emma stopped her.

"You don't have to." Emma said.

"But you said I shouldn't stay over because of Henry." Regina said as she sat up and looked at her.

"I know what I said." Emma said as she stood up and held a hand out to Regina.

Regina smiled and took Emma's hand as she got up from the couch.

* * *

In the morning Regina woke with a smile on her face as Emma's naked body was curled up alongside of hers. She didn't want to move, didn't want to disturb Emma.

Emma's leg rubbed up Regina's as she squeezed her around her waist. Regina tried to understand what Emma was muttering in her sleep but she didn't want to risk moving to hear her.

Regina, with her arm around Emma stared up at the ceiling with a smile on her face.

For the first time in a long time she felt happy and that was thanks to Emma.

Emma, the by the books, hard-nosed and fine ass sheriff was her girlfriend.

Girlfriend, Regina snorted at the thought. It wasn't something she'd had in a long time, mostly due to the fact that the women she was with wouldn't put up with her for too long before finally getting fed up with her and leaving. Sure, Regina had broken her fair share of hearts as well but the serious ones, the ones Regina thought may have a chance were always ruined.

The alarm clocked blared and ruined the moment as Emma slowly rolled away from Regina and slapped the clock shutting it off.

She rolled back over at looked at Regina, "Good morning."

"Morning." Regina said smiling.

Emma got up and headed for the bathroom.

"What's the rush?" Regina asked still lying in bed.

"I have work and you have community service." Emma said as she started the shower.

"We could skip it." Regina said, "Stay in bed together."

Emma poked her head out of the bathroom, "I can't just call in sick because there's a beautiful and naked woman in my bed."

Regina blushed at Emma calling her beautiful. It wasn't like she didn't know it but it was nice hearing it.

"Care to join me?" Emma asked with a mischievous smile before leaving the doorway.

It took Regina half a second to get out of bed and join Emma in the shower.

"Quiet." Emma said as she and Regina, now fully dressed snuck down stairs, "Henry's still asleep."

"It's Saturday." Regina said quietly.

"So?" Emma asked stopping two stairs from the bottom and looking over her shoulder at Regina.

"So I eat sugary cereal and watch cartoons in the living room on Saturdays."

Emma turned to see Henry with a big bowl of cereal passing them to go into the living room.

Regina snickered and Emma elbowed her.

"Wait for me outside." Emma told her.

"See you later Henry." Regina called out as she opened the front door.

"Bye." He said with a mouth full of Lucky Charms.

Regina gave Emma a peck on the lips before shutting the door.

Emma sighed, went into the living room and sat down next to Henry on the couch. She looked at him through the corner of her eye. He was absentmindedly shoveling cereal into his mouth as he watched animated turtles doing kung-fu on the TV.

After a few minutes of this Henry put his spoon down in his bowl and looked at her.

"You don't have to talk to me about it. Regina likes you and you like her." Henry said, "I took sex education last year so I'm good. We don't have to talk about it."

"Henry…" Emma started to say but Henry cut her off.

"Honestly, I'm okay with it." He said smiling, "I see how happy you are now. You've smiled more since Regina's been in town than I've ever seen you smile before."

She smiled.

"So I'm good. I promise." He shrugged his shoulders as he turned back to the tv, "And besides, I like her too."

They sat for a few minutes more in silence before Henry turned to her, "Um, isn't Regina waiting for you?"

"Shit." Emma said as she sprung up from the couch then looked at Henry again.

"I've heard worse at school." He said still distracted by the TV.

Emma grabbed her jacket then headed out the door.

When they got to the sheriff station Emma went to check the answering service and thankfully there were no messages.

Regina sat down in David's chair and watched as Emma moved around bringing the office to life as she turned on lights, computers and opened up the cell doors.

"So everything okay with Henry?" Regina asked as Emma started the coffee machine.

"Seems to be that way." Emma said as she went and sat down at her desk.

"So does this mean I don't have to sneak out in the mornings?" Regina asked.

"I think it means we need to be a bit more discreet." Emma told her.

Regina was just about to argue when David came making a bunch of noise.

"You would not make it as a ninja." Regina said to him as she got up from his chair.

He gave her a strange look then watched as she went into the filing room.

* * *

For most of the morning Regina stayed in the filing room going through box after box and organizing them alphabetically.

"I'm so tired of this." Regina said to Emma as she sat down in David's vacant chair.

Emma took off her reading glasses and sat back in her chair, "What are you tired of?"

"Filing." Regina said, "I have countless paper cuts."

"Aww poor baby." Emma mocked with a pouty lip.

Regina glared at her as she stood up, "I'm going to go get us lunch."

"I'll take a turkey sandwich, potato chips and a diet Pepsi." Emma told her.

"You'll take whatever I get you." Regina said as she headed for the door.

Regina was waiting patiently at the counter in the diner when Gran came out from the kitchen and approached her.

"How's Henry doing?" She asked Regina.

"Wow, it took you almost 2 months to ask about him." Regina said, "That must be some kind record."

"I've asked Emma about him." Granny said giving Regina a look.

"Then you already know how he is." Regina said to her, "Now where's my food?"

Granny turned to leave but Regina stopped her.

"What you did to Henry was real shitty."

Granny looked at her.

"He trusted you. He trusted that you'd love him, care for him and understand him." Regina said, "And you turned your back on him."

"I was at my wit's end with that boy." Granny shot back at her.

"You kicked him out of the one place he felt safe." Regina said, "You ease your conscience by asking about him from time to time but you really don't give a shit."

Granny opened her mouth to argue but Regina waved her quiet, "No, whatever you have to say I don't want to hear."

Ruby slowly walked over to the counter and put Regina's order on the counter. Regina stood up, put some money on the counter, "Henry's happy now and he's better off with Emma."

She stared at Granny only for a minute to see the look of hurt register on her face before she turned and headed out of the café.

Regina dropped the bag of food onto Emma's desk and sat down in the chair across from her.

Emma saw the anger on Regina's face, "What's wrong?" She asked as she took her glasses off.

"You've been updating that old hag about Henry?" Regina asked, her arms folded across her chest.

"She asks about him." Emma told her.

"Who gives a shit?" Regina asked as she sat forward, "She threw him out. She doesn't have a right to ask about him."

"She has been taking care of him since he was 6 years old. She has a right to ask about him." Emma told her, "And I've made sure she knows just how happy he is and how well he's doing with me."

Regina smiled, "Good."

After work Emma took Regina home.

"Can we have dinner tonight?" Emma asked before Regina got out of the car.

"Just the two of us?"

"Yes." Emma said, "Henry is going to be with Jefferson and Grace for a while tonight."

Regina smiled, "Sure."

"I'll pick you up in an hour." Emma said then leaned over and gave Regina a quick peck on the lips.

* * *

As promised Emma returned for Regina in an hour.

"I thought maybe we could walk a little down Main Street since the restaurant is down that way." Emma told Regina.

"Sounds fine to me." Regina said and took Emma's hand as they started to walk towards Main Street.

They made idle chit chat as they passed shop after shop.

Regina came to an abrupt stop and Emma looked back over at her, "What's wrong?"

"Let's just go back to my place. I'll cook for you." Regina said to Emma, though her eyes were on something else.

Emma followed Regina's line of sight and saw Mr. Gold and another man talking in his shop.

She looked back at Regina, "Do you know the man with Mr. Gold?"

The man started for the exit and Regina pulled on Emma, "Let's go please."

Emma saw the panic on Regina's face, "What's going on?"

The man stepped out of Mr. Gold's shop and spotted them, "Well well well, hello Gina."

Emma looked him over, he was a nicely dressed man with a crooked smile and a small accent.

"Don't call me that." Regina said to him.

"It's been a while hasn't it?" The man said, "5 or 6 years now."

"Not long enough Robin." Regina said then took Emma's hand, "We're leaving."

"Oh, but you haven't introduced me to your friend." He said then looked at Emma and smiled at her.

"And I won't." Regina said as she turned to leave but Emma stopped her.

"Hi, I'm Emma." She said to Robin, "How do you know Regina?"

He smiled at her, "I work for her father."

"Really?" Emma asked, "But what are you doing in Storybrooke?"

Robin looked at Regina, "You didn't tell her?"

"Tell me what?"

"Keep your mouth shut." Regina warned him.

His smiled turned from pleasant to wicked as he turned to Emma, "Her father is Raul Perez."


	12. Chapter 12

"I'm sorry what?" Emma asked confused then turned to Regina, "Raul Perez? The man who freaking owns Storybrooke is your father?!"

"Emma, please calm down." Regina stepped closer and reached for Emma's hand

"Calm down?" Emma asked with a bitter laugh as she took a step back. She looked from Regina to Robin then back at Regina again.

"Just let me explain." Regina said to her.

She shook her head, "No." She gave Regina one last look before turning and walking away.

Regina went to follow but Robin caught her by the arm and stopped her, "Let her go, Regina."

She looked at him, fire in her eyes. She pulled her arm out of his grip, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Mr. Perez wanted me to come to town and check on things." He told her, "He also mentioned that Judge Smoot called to tell him about all the trouble you've caused."

"So he sent his little errand boy to check on his kingdom and make sure his fuck-up of a daughter hasn't disgraced his good name huh?" Regina asked, arms folded across her chest, one eyebrow arched.

"I'm just doing what I was told Regina." He told her.

"You always do." Regina said, "But I don't have time for this. I have to go find Emma."

She pointed a finger at him, "If you've fucked this up for me I will find you and personally wring your neck."

"I'm not the fuck-up here Regina, remember?"

She punched him in the face and he dropped to his knees, his hands cupping his bloody nose.

Without another word or a backward glance Regina took off after Emma.

She'd lost sight of her while Robin antagonized her but she had an idea of where she might have gone.

* * *

When Regina got to the Sheriff station the door was locked but the lights were on. She pounded on the door, "Open up Emma!"

She waited, ear pressed to the door to listen for movement. She pounded one more time and waited before she headed to the backdoor. She grabbed the knob and twisted but it was lock. She swore under her breath as she reared back, lifted her leg and kicked the door as hard as she could.

She broke part of the frame off as the door swung open. Regina was actually surprised it worked.

Emma came into the back area, gun drawn.

"Whoa!" Regina said with her hands up, "It's just me!"

Emma didn't lower her gun as she stood perfectly still, the gun still trained on Regina.

Regina put her hands down, "You have every right to shoot me. I did kind of break in."

She took a step, "But I'm going to come in now so we can talk."

She took a few more steps towards Emma and Regina saw her grip tighten on the gun.

"Just stop right there." Emma told her and Regina didn't move.

Emma finally put her gun back in its holster, "What do you want?"

"I want to talk to you." Regina told her, "To explain."

"To lie more you mean."

"No, I never lied to you." Regina told her.

Emma looked at her in disbelief, "Are you kidding me?"

"Does it look like I am?" Regina asked her then took a step closer to her, "I never lied to you Emma. I told you my father was a business man. I told you he was strict, uncaring and just wanted me to obey him and follow in his footsteps."

"But you knew he owned Storybrooke."

"So what?" Regina asked, "That has nothing to do with us Emma."

"What else are you not telling me?" Emma asked, "What else are you hiding?"

"Emma, we've haven't know each other for very long." Regina said, "Of course we're not going to know everything about each other."

"Important shit like this we should know Regina." Emma said getting angry. She turned and walked away going into the main office.

Regina followed Emma, "I didn't tell you exactly who my father was because he's not important to me. He cut me off after I left his business. I've only spoken to him a few times in the last 6 years."

Emma stood by her desk, arms folded across her chest, "I can't deal with this right now."

"Emma, you're being ridiculous."

Regina realized that probably wasn't the best thing to say as soon as she saw the look on Emma's face.

"Just leave." Emma told her, "Leave right now I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Regina stood staring at her, "No."

"Leave now or I'll arrest you for breaking in here." Emma told her.

"That just means I'll be locked up in here with you." Regina said with a smug smile.

"No, that means that judge will have you transferred to a different jail for violating your probation." Emma told her, mirroring the smug smile.

"Emma, come on…"

Emma reached for her cuffs and pulled them out. She started to walk over to Regina, "You have the right to remain …."

"Okay, okay." Regina said with her hands raised this time in defeat, "I'm leaving."

Regina headed for the back door but paused and said, "I will be back though Emma. This isn't over between us."

Emma watched as Regina left then did her best to barricade the back door before going into the main office.

She growled in frustration as she sat down at her desk. She knew this would happen, she knew it was only a matter of time. How could she have been so dumb to trust a complete stranger? How could she have let her walls down and let someone get so damn close to her?

She felt stupid and betrayed.

She only sat in the darkness of the office for a moment before getting up and leaving. Not wanting to go home she headed to the last place anyone thought she'd go.

* * *

The Rusty Screw was busy and loud and for a change, Emma was thankful for it.

"Well holy shit." Mulan said as Emma sat down on a bar stool at the end of the bar, "Hell must have frozen over if you're here to have a drink."

"Just pour me something strong." Emma commanded.

Without another word Mulan poured her a whiskey and Emma slammed it back in one gulp.

"Again."

Mulan poured her another and Emma slammed it back as well.

"Why are people assholes?" Emma asked, "Why do they think it's okay to lie and use people?"

Mulan poured her another drink then looked at her with genuine concern, "What's going on Emma?"

"Aurora screwed around behind my back for almost the entire time we were together." Emma said as she took a big gulp of her drink, "And you? You were my best friend. I trusted you and you stabbed me in the back."

She looked at Mulan, "Thought I had a good thing going with Regina. Finally thought I'd moved on but even that came crashing down."

A small bitter laugh escaped her lips, "Guess I was wrong." She said it quietly before tossing back the rest of her drink.

She stood up and looked at Mulan with sadness. She headed for the door, "Thanks for the drinks." She said as she went outside.

Mulan called over one of the waitresses to take over, "Just give them all beer if you don't know how to mix the drinks."

She then went after Emma.

"Hey, let me give you a ride." Mulan said as she got to Emma who was leaning back against her VW, her face to the sky.

"It's going to take more than a few whiskeys to get me drunk." Emma said as she gazed at the night sky.

"Indulge me okay?" Mulan said as she took Emma by the arm and moved her to the passenger side of her car. She opened the door and Emma got in.

Mulan got into the driver's side and held her hand out, "Keys?"

Emma dropped them into her hand and Mulan put then in the ignition and started the car.

* * *

"I've always hated the way you drive." Emma said as Mulan came to a screeching halt in front of Emma's house.

"Did you die?" Mulan asked her.

"You drive like a crazy person. You always have." Emma continued.

"But, did you die?"

"No." Emma said to her.

"Okay then." Mulan said, "Shut up and get out."

Mulan followed Emma to her door and unlocked her door for her. She handed Emma the keys.

"Thanks." Emma said.

"So, what'd she do?" Mulan asked.

"Who?"

"Regina." Mulan said, "What'd she do to make you run out to my place?"

Emma looked down at the keys in her hand.

"It's okay. You don't have to tell me." Mulan said, "It's not like we're friends anymore."

She took a few steps down the walk before she turned back to Emma, "I'm sorry Emma. I really am."

Emma looked up at her, "For Regina?"

"That and for everything else." Mulan told her.

They stared at each other only for a moment more before Mulan said, "Well anyways, whatever happened between you and Regina, find a way to work it out because honestly, you've been less of a bitch since you started dating her."

Mulan gave her a smile and a wink before turning and walking away.

Emma went inside and shut the door behind her. She leaned back against it and closed her eyes.

A few minutes later a loud knock startled her. She opened the door and saw Regina standing there. She went to slam the door shut but Regina put her boot out and stopped the door from shutting.

"Stop being a child Emma and let me talk to you." Regina said pushing on the door.

"You're a liar, there's nothing more to say." Emma said with a grunt and she pushed the door from her side.

With a loud grunt and all her might Regina pushed against the door. The force almost knocked Emma down but Regina managed to grab her as she went inside.

Emma wrenched herself out of Regina's grip and slammed the door shut behind them.

"I could arrest you for this." Emma said to her.

"So do it." Regina challenged and when Emma didn't go for her cuffs Regina took a step forward, "Then stop threatening me and let's just talk, please."

"I don't know how many times I have to say it but I didn't lie to you." Regina told her.

"So you're not rich?" Emma asked her.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You could have paid your fines then hopped on your bike and took off." Emma said to her.

Regina took a step to her, "Let's get one thing straight, whatever money I have I earned or it was owed to me."

Emma scoffed, "Owed to you? Wow, you must think very highly of yourself if you think people owe you something."

"You don't know anything…." Regina said to her.

"Apparently." Emma said cutting her off.

"You really want me gone, don't you?" Regina asked sadly.

"I don't have time to play games with a little rich girl whose daddy issues make her lash out." Emma said as she folded her arms across her chest.

Regina chuckled, "Wow, okay."

She turned and opened the front door, "Good to know how easily you give up on people."

Before Emma could say anything more Regina went out the door and shut it behind her.

Emma stood staring at the closed door for only a minute or two before turning around and going into the kitchen. She started the coffee maker then leaned against the kitchen counter.

A part of her thought she was being unreasonable to Regina but she wasn't going to give her a chance to hurt her any further so it was better to just pull the band-aid off now than to let it fester.

She should just become a nun and get it over with. Stay away from love and people who would only break her heart. She let out a long sigh as she rubbed her temples.

Henry came through the front door and kept her from Googling convents nearby.

"Oh hi." He said as he came into the kitchen and saw her pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"Hey, kid." She said, "Did you have fun over at Grace's?"

"We played a video game for a bit, watch a movie and then Jefferson taught us a card game."

"A card game for money?" Emma asked him with one eyebrow arched.

Henry laughed, "No, just a card game."

"I'm glad you had fun." She said to him.

Henry gave her a strange look, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah sure." Emma said to him, "Nothing a good cup of coffee won't help."

"Where's Regina?" He asked.

"Home I'd imagine." Emma told him then took a sip of her coffee.

"Did your date not go well?" He asked.

"Not really." She said giving him a smile, "Why don't you get ready for bed?"

He stood for a minute just looking at her before turning around and heading upstairs to his room.

* * *

In the morning Henry watched TV in the living room while he waited for Emma.

"Sorry I'm running a little late." She said as she finally came downstairs. She grabbed her keys, "Ready to go?"

Emma dropped Henry off at school then headed to the station. She really wasn't looking forward to seeing Regina today but knew it couldn't be avoided.

David came in an hour later.

"Hey, where's Regina?" He asked Emma as he sat down at his desk.

"Don't know." Emma told him as she stood up, "But I'm going to find out."

Emma drove over to Regina's apartment and pounded a fist on her door.

She didn't get an answer and knocked again, this time yelled, "You are violating your probation!"

"Sweetie, she's not there."

Emma turned to see an older woman coming up the walkway with a bag of groceries in her arms.

"What do you mean?"

"She left early this morning on a motorcycle." The old woman said as she went to the apartment next door and fumbled with her keys.

Emma swore under her breath as she hurried to her car and drove over to Leroy's.

Leroy was sitting in his office, feet up on his desk reading a magazine about coal mining.

"Hey sister." He said when he looked up and saw Emma.

"Did Regina get her bike?" Emma asked him.

"She sure did." Leroy said as he put his magazine down on his desk, "Seemed to be in a big hurry too."

"Leroy, you can't just release her bike." Emma told him, "She hasn't paid her fines."

"According to this paperwork-" He said handing her a piece of paper, "She has."

Emma snatched the paper from him and read it over. Regina had gone to the judge and paid the remaining balance on her unpaid parking tickets and other fines which released her from her probation and any other obligations to Storybrooke.

She handed Leroy the paper then turned on her heels and headed back to her car.

She went back to the station and sat down at her desk.

David looked around, "Is Regina not coming?"

"No." Emma said, "She paid her fines and she left."

"Just like that?" David asked surprised.

"Just like that."

They sat quietly for a few minutes before he looked over at her, "Are you okay?"

"Honestly?" She asked then leaned back in her chair and looked him, "Not really."

"Anything I can do?" He asked her.

She smiled at him, "Not really."

* * *

David took over duties as Emma went to the school for the after school program. She smiled when she saw Henry walking in with Grace and talking non-stop.

Emma allowed the kids to do whatever they wanted as long as they were active then sat down on the bleachers and watched.

Henry handed his end of the jump rope to another kid before making his way over to Emma.

"Can we invite Grace over for dinner tonight?" He asked her.

Emma looked over at Grace who was jumping rope, "Sure, if that's what you want."

"Yeah it is." He said then looked at her, "Can we invite Regina over too?"

Emma sighed, "I don't think so Henry."

"Why not?" Henry asked disappointed.

"She left town Henry." Emma told him, "She paid what she owed to the court and left."

"She wouldn't do that. Not without saying goodbye first." He told her.

"Well she did." Emma told him.

"You're wrong." He told her then walked away.

* * *

When Emma and Henry got home he sat at the dining room table and started his homework.

Emma went into the kitchen and looked in the fridge, "We have no food."

"That's because Regina did most of the shopping." Henry told her as he came into the kitchen.

"Would Grace be okay eating pizza tonight?" Emma asked him as she shut the fridge door.

"What 13 year old isn't okay with eating pizza?" He asked her then went back out into the dining room.

Emma followed him out and sat down at the table with him. She stared at him till he got annoyed, "What?"

"It's not my fault she left Henry." Emma said to him.

"Why did she leave?" He asked, "And did you even go looking for her?"

And before Emma could say anything he added, "And don't tell me it's complicated, just tell me."

"Her father is Raul Perez." Emma told him.

"So?"

"Raul Perez, the man who owns Storybrooke." Emma said wondering why Henry wasn't getting it.

"I know who he is." Henry said, "I don't understand what the problem is."

He put his pencil down, forgetting his homework, "Maybe she's doesn't like her dad and that's why she didn't tell you."

Emma sighed, "It's more than that."

"Tell me." He said to her.

The doorbell rang and interrupted them.

Emma got up and opened the door to see Regina standing there.

"I thought…"

"I left." Regina said finishing her sentence, "But I'm not giving up on us that easily Emma."

Henry came up behind Emma, a big smile on his face as went and hugged Regina tight. He pulled back and looked at Emma, "Told you she wouldn't leave without saying goodbye."

"Come in." He said to Regina as he grabbed her hand, "Emma ordered pizza."

Regina pulled her hand out of Henry's, "I'm not here to eat Henry."

She looked at Emma, "I'm here to fix things."

Emma folded her arms across her chest, "There's nothing to fix Regina."

"Don't say that."

"I was an idiot for trusting you." Emma told her, "I should have listened to myself when I thought this was a bad idea. You made a fool out of me."

"Everything I've told you, everything I've said has been the truth. My feelings for you are real." Regina said, "I didn't make a fool out of you Emma but I promise you this, if you give up now, if you just walk away from us over this then you are a fool and that's not on me."

"But here's what I'm not going to do. I'm not going to stand here and beg you to take me back. I'm not going to think up silly ways of making it up to you or getting you to forgive me. I don't have to do that and you don't want me to." Regina told her, "What I am going to do is answer any question you have with absolute honesty like I always have." Regina said when Emma didn't say anything, "But when I do that is up to you."

Regina looked into Emma's eyes, "I told you I'm not going anywhere and I meant that." Regina told her as she opened the front door, "When you're ready, you come see me."


	13. Chapter 13

Emma was at the station when she received a call from Mary Margaret.

"I'm sorry to bother you Emma but she just showed up. She told me she didn't have community service anymore but she still wanted to help." Mary Margaret said over the phone.

There was silence on the phone for a minute.

"Emma? Are you still there?" Mary Margaret asked.

"If you need the help Mary Margaret then I don't see the problem." Emma said, "If you want her to leave then just tell her to leave."

This time Mary Margaret went silent on the phone.

Emma sighed. She swore she could hear the wheels in Mary Margaret's head turning slowly. Very slowly.

"I think I will allow her to stay for the day. We have a field trip today and one of the parents didn't show." Mary Margaret explained.

"Have a good day Mary Margaret." Emma said and hung up.

Emma wondered what Regina was up to. There wasn't a legal requirement for Regina to help out in Mary Margaret's classroom, so why was she there?

She shook her head, "No, I don't want to know." She told herself then went back to work.

* * *

A few days later Emma was on a routine accident call that required tow service. An ambulance came to get the driver and take them to the hospital. Emma sat in her car and waited for Leroy.

The tow truck pulled up and Emma got out of her car and walked up to the truck.

"Just take it to the yard Leroy and David will be by later to get the paperwork." Emma said, not paying attention as she wrote down some information in her notebook.

"Not a problem, Emma."

Emma looked up with surprise as Regina hopped out of the truck and shut the door.

"What the hell are you doing?" Emma asked as she followed Regina, who was dressed in gray coveralls, to the front of the red sports car to hook it up to the tow truck.

"I'm doing my job." Regina said stooped down and got to work.

"Your job?" Emma asked confused. She grabbed Regina by her arm and pulled her up, "Is this some kind of joke?"

"I happen to take towing very seriously." Regina said to her with a straight face, "Now please step back and let me get this car hooked up."

Emma didn't say anything as Regina stooped down again.

A few minutes later Regina stood up straight and wiped her hands on her coveralls. She went back to her truck, grabbed her clipboard and filled in some information, "Sign this please." Regina said as she held the clipboard out to Emma.

Emma snatched it from her and signed her name, "Seriously, what's going on here?"

"I got a job working for Leroy." Regina told her.

"Why?"

"I need something to do in Storybrooke and I can only stand volunteering in Mary Margaret's class a couple of days a week." Regina told her.

Emma just stared at her.

"My clipboard, please." Regina said holding her hand out for it.

Emma handed the clipboard back to Regina, "What are you up to?"

"I'm not up to anything. I told you Emma, if there's anything you want to know about me all you have to do is ask." Regina told her, "I also told you I'm not going anywhere. So you know where to find me when you're ready to stop being so damn stubborn."

Emma watched as Regina got back into her truck and headed down the road. She got back in her car and headed to the station. She made a phone call to Leroy who told her that he'd hired Regina 2 days ago and didn't think it'd be a problem.

"No, it's not a problem Leroy." Emma said, "Just makes sure she follows the rules."

"You got it." He said before hanging up.

Late that afternoon Regina stood near an open field a mile away from the school with her father Raul, her business partner and lawyer Katherine and Robin.

"This is where I want to build the youth center." Regina told her father, "Now the only question is, are you going to let me buy the land?"

"What's the deal with you and helping out these kids?" Robin asked Regina, "It's not like you owe them anything."

"These kids need a place to go to have fun and be safe." Regina said to him, "It will be a place where they feel like they belong."

Regina looked at her father, "A place where they know someone will listen to them, encourage them and help them."

"Are you sure you're not just doing this for your little girlfriend?" Robin asked with a small smile.

"You know if you're jealous I know someone I can fix you up with." Regina said, "He's a little light in the loafers and fancies himself a bit of a pirate but he wears eyeliner and likes to show off his chest hairs."

Regina smiled, "I'll give him your number. You two can go plunder each other."

Raul, who had been silent this entire time as he watched the exchange, let out a small snort and Robin shot him a look.

Raul cleared his throat and looked at Regina, "I want a business plan written up by the end of the week."

"Already done." Regina said as Katherine handed him a binder.

Raul opened the binder and murmured quietly to himself as he read through some of the business plan.

Regina stood silently by Katherine and waited patiently.

Robin leaned over to her, "Seems like a lot of work just to get back into this woman's pants."

Regina turned to him and looked him in the eyes, "It's better than going to the bar and hoping one of the drunks will throw you a piece out of pity."

Robin clinched his jaw.

"Now just shut up and sit pretty like a good little lapdog should." Regina said as she turned her attention back to her father who was still reading.

Raul closed the binder and looked at Regina, "Okay."

"Okay?" Regina asked.

"Sir, I strongly advise against this." Robin said to him.

"Good thing I don't pay you for your opinion." Raul said to him then turned his attention back to Regina.

"You can have the land." He told her, "I'll donate it to you."

"No, you won't." Regina told him, "If I learned one thing from you it's that nothing is ever free."

"I'll pay you fair market value for it. Expect a check by the end of the week." Regina told her father then turned to leave.

He called after her and she turned to look at him.

"I see now what a good thing you're trying to doing." He said to her, "I'm sorry it took me so long."

Regina gave him a small sad smile, "I'm sorry it took you so long too." And without another word she turned and walked to back to the car.

"Everything okay?" Katherine asked when Regina got into the car.

"It just seemed a little too easy." Regina told her.

"Maybe it's his way of trying to make up for being an asshole all these years." Katherine said.

"It's going to take more than a piece of land to do that." Regina said as she drove them back to her apartment.

She finally pulled up to the curb outside her apartment, "I'm going to go to City Hall and talk to a few people about the plans." Regina told Katherine, "Why don't you freshen up and we'll go out for a celebratory drink when I get back?"

"Sounds good." Katherine said as she got out of the car.

* * *

"I think you're being stupid." Henry said to Emma as they waited for the other kids to enter the gym for the after school program.

"Excuse me?" Emma asked him.

"You're being stupid and stubborn about Regina." Henry told her, "She likes you and you like her and just because she doesn't tell you one thing you get all butt hurt about it and break up with her."

"Butt hurt?" Emma asked, "Where do you come up with these sayings?"

"She told you she'd tell you whatever you wanted to know but that was a week ago and you're still moping around."

"I'm not moping around." Emma told him.

"Yeah okay stay in denial." He told her, "But I saw how happy Regina made you and I don't understand why you'd throw that all away."

"So what if she has money and her dad is Raul Perez." Henry told her, "She's still the same person, nothing's changed who she is."

"What do you expect me to do Henry?" Emma asked him with a sigh.

"Suck it up and go talk to her." Henry told her.

He spotted Grace as she came into the gym, "Talk to her because your stubbornness is ruining the best thing that's happened to the both of us in a long time."

Having Raul Perez as a father didn't change the fact that Regina was still loud, flirty, devilish and someone Emma had really fallen for.

It made Emma feel like an ass to know that Henry was right. Maybe it was her pride stopping her, maybe she was being stubborn because she didn't want to get hurt again. But all that pride and stubbornness had left her exactly where she didn't want to be and that was alone and hurting.

With a heavy sigh Emma had made up her mind. She'd go see Regina and they'd finally talk.

After dropping Henry off at Jefferson's, Emma drove over to Regina's.

She took in a calming breath and let it out before knocking on the door. She shoved her hands into her pockets and waited.

The door opened and instead of Regina, there stood a blonde with a white towel wrapped around her naked body.

Emma was frozen where she stood.

"Can I help you?"

"I-this-what?" Emma babbled. She took a step back, "I'm sorry I shouldn't have come here."

Emma went back to her car and took off.

* * *

Mulan poured the whiskey as soon as Emma stepped through the door.

"I won't ask." Mulan said as Emma sat down.

"Good because I won't tell you." Emma said as she threw back the drink, "And I won't ask you to keep filling my glass, you just will."

"Just let me know if this is going to become a habit so I can start you a tab." Mulan said as she poured Emma another drink.

Emma didn't know how many drinks she'd had but she now had a nice hazy drunk look in her eyes and with that came the reason as to why she was sitting at the Rusty Screw.

"Isn't there some kind of mourning period after you break up?" Emma asked as she sipped her drink, "Don't you have to wait before jumping into bed with someone new? Someone blonder?"

She looked at Mulan, "Aren't there some kind of rules about that?"

"You're asking me of all people?"

Emma snorted, "Forgot who I was talking to." She said, her words slurred.

At the other end of the bar Robin sat drinking his second beer.

A man came up to the bar and stood by Robin, "Can I get some rum over here love?"

Mulan came down to the end of the bar, "You and your rum Killian, I swear." She poured his drink and headed back over to Emma.

Killian threw back his shot and put the glass down on the bar. He looked at Robin who had been watching him since he came into the bar and winked at him before turning around and strutting out of the bar.

Mulan poured Emma another drink as she continued to babble.

"Maybe it is me. Maybe I'm just not worth it." Emma said then downed her drink in one big gulp.

"Trust me it's not you."

Emma turned to see Robin standing next to her.

* * *

Meanwhile Regina had just spent almost 2 hours talking to 3 different people at City Hall before finally getting back to her apartment.

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" Katherine asked as soon as Regina came through the door.

"Because I was in a meeting." Regina said as she stumbled over one of the boxes in her living room.

"I really need to unpack." She said as she nudged the box out of the way.

"I've been trying to get a hold of you." Katherine said as she watched Regina dig through one of the boxes that they'd brought from Regina's New York apartment.

"Oh well hello there long lost friend." Regina said as she pulled out a pair of handcuffs from the box.

"Regina…." Katherine said but Regina interrupted.

"I had some fun times with these." She said as she pocketed the key to the cuffs.

"Emma came by looking for you and saw me in nothing but a towel." Katherine blurted out.

This got Regina's attention, "What? What did you say? What did she say?"

"I didn't get a chance to say much and she took off." Katherine told her.

"Damn it." Regina cursed, "Where'd she go?"

"How should I know?" Katherine asked.

Regina's cellphone rang interrupting another curse.

"You might want to come to the Rusty Screw." Mulan said over the phone, "Emma's here and a little drunk. I'd rather you come get her than David."

"I'm on my way." Regina said then looked at Katherine, "Let's go."

Back at the bar Robin had taken the seat next to Emma, "It's not you. It's Regina."

"And how would you know that?" Emma asked him.

"Because I know Regina." He said then took a sip of his beer, "I know she's was never the kind of person to settle down in one spot or with one person for very long. She sees life and love as some kind of game."

"It's better that you learned this now." He said, "Before you two started picking out matching drapes together."

Emma looked him up and down, "Let me guess, you tried to use your charm, good looks and what I can only guess is a fake accent to win her over and she rejected you. Not because she's gay but, and forgive me if I misspeak here, but because maybe you're an asshole."

Mulan stifled a laugh as she poured Emma another drink.

"This from the bitch trying to drink away the bitter taste Regina left in her mouth."

Without warning Emma swung on him and clocked him in the temple. The force knocked him back off his stool and he lay unconscious on the bar room floor.

Mulan peered over the bar then looked at Emma who took her last swig of whiskey then placed the glass gently on the bar.

"So, thanks for the drinks." She said to Mulan as she stood up to leave.

Regina and Katherine came into the bar at this very moment and Emma caught sight of them.

"Well look who it is!" Emma said loudly, "It's Regina and her rebound piece!"

"Scoop his ass up and get him in the car." Regina told Katherine, "I'll deal with Emma."

Regina went over to Emma, "Don't worry he won't press charges."

"As if I give a shit." Emma slurred.

"Why don't I take you home?" Regina asked reaching out from Emma.

"Why don't you fuck off?" Emma said as she slapped Regina's hand away.

"Ok I got a better idea than taking you home." Regina said then grabbed Emma by the arm and twisted it behind her back, pressing her against the bar, "This isn't how I imagined using these on you for the first time." She said as she pulled out her hand cuffs, "But you're out of control."

She cinched the handcuffs onto Emma's wrists then turned her around and walked her out of the bar.

"Where are you taking me?" Emma asked as Regina shoved her into the backseat of Katherine's car.

"I'm taking you to jail." Regina told her as she slid in next to her.


	14. Chapter 14

Katherine dropped Regina and Emma off at the station before taking off with Robin who was still knocked out.

Regina fished the keys out of Emma's pocket and unlocked the front door to the station and hauled Emma inside.

"You know this isn't right." Emma said, "I should be arresting you."

"You can arrest me once you're sober if that'll make you happy." Regina said as she took Emma over to one of the cells, sat her on the bed then stepped out and locked the door behind her.

"What about the cuffs?" Emma asked her.

"I bought them at a store 3 years ago. Ironically I used them as part of a Halloween costume, I went as a cop." Regina told her.

"That's not what I meant." Emma said.

"I know." Regina said but made no move to take the cuffs off.

"You sure don't waste any time moving on, do you?" Emma asked.

"What?" Regina asked confused.

"The blonde in nothing but a towel in your apartment?"

A smirk appeared on Regina's face, "Don't tell me you're jealous."

"Fuck off." Emma said as she sat with her shoulders slumped.

"The blonde in my apartment is Katherine." Regina told her.

"Oh so nice of you to at least get her name."

"Katherine is my friend, lawyer and business partner from New York. She came to Storybrooke to bring me my things and work on a project with me." Regina told her, "We don't have that kind of relationship. We never have."

Emma gave her a 'Yeah right' look and Regina smiled.

"What the hell are you smiling about?" Emma asked, still a little pissed off.

"I like that you got jealous. It means there's still a part of you that cares about me."

"A small part." Emma said quietly.

"Come over to the bars and I'll take the cuffs off." Regina told her and Emma got up and stumbled to the bars. She turned around and Regina uncuffed her.

Emma rubbed at her sore wrists as she went to sit back down on the bed. She shut her eyes and hoped that the room would stop spinning.

"So Emma, why'd you come by?" Regina asked as she stood at the bars.

"Henry called me stupid because I haven't talked to you." Emma told her.

"Kid has a point." Regina said.

"Anyways, I realized that maybe he's right. So I went to your place to talk, to have you explain things to me." Emma told her, "But you weren't there."

"Well I'm here now and it looks like we're not going anywhere." Regina told her, "So, where should I start?"

"Start with the fact that Raul Perez is your father, a man who personally hired me to take care of this town, his town." Emma told her.

"Here's the thing about my father. He did everything his father wanted him to do. My father went to the same college as his dad, got good grades and then got his business degree. He followed in his father's footsteps then eventually took over his company when his father died." Regina told her, "My father wanted me to do the same thing but I had to do things my way. I had to be different. I didn't want to be the kind of person that would crush others in order to be on top."

"When my parents got divorced I went with my mother and he rarely spoke of me." Regina told her, "When I got older and my mother died things changed because he was all I had left so I tried to make him happy even though that meant I'd be miserable."

"So then how'd you get from trying to make him happy to burning your business degree on his conference desk?" Emma asked.

"Little things here and there but what finally pushed me over the edge was when he tore down a building in New York, a building that meant a lot to me just so he could build a parking garage there." Regina told her.

"Why was it so important to you?" Emma asked.

Regina sighed, "It was a local shelter that helped homeless kids and had an after school program."

"My mother volunteered there for 10 years and every day after school that's where I was." Regina said, "When I was old enough I volunteered and helped the younger kids there."

"And your father just tore it down?" Emma asked sadly.

"My father cares about very little. If it doesn't earn him money then he doesn't see the point in holding onto it."

"Remember when I said I was owed money?" Regina asked her and Emma nodded.

"My grandmother on my mother's side died and left me money for after I graduated college. I was only 8 when she died but I remember her as a very happy woman who loved to bake." Regina smiled.

She cleared her throat, "Um, anyways, when I turned 22 my father had to give me that money. Something he really didn't want to do because he thought I'd be irresponsible with it."

"And were you?" Emma asked.

"Only a little." Regina told her and Emma raised an eyebrow.

"You've seen my tattoos." Regina said with a smirk, "But after I went a little crazy I invested some money in a few stocks then eventually had enough money to put into buying property."

"I wasn't as good as my old man, mostly because I wasn't as ruthless as him." Regina told her, "But my first big purchase was an old boxing gym. I had it fixed up and turned it into the Cora Mills Youth Center."

"For your mother?" Emma asked and Regina nodded.

"After 8 years of investing, working hard and planning there is now at least 1 youth center in 3 of the boroughs in New York." Regina said with a proud smile on her face, "There's 2 in Boston, 1 in Maine and I'm hoping to open a smaller one here in Storybrooke."

"I'm doing something to honor my mother because that's what she would have wanted." Regina told her.

"You asked why I didn't tell you about my father and I told you because I wasn't proud of him and that's the truth." Regina told her, "And I didn't want you to think that's who I am because it's not."

"I want to help people. I want these kids to know that there's someone out there rooting for them, someone who's not giving up on them." Regina told her.

"So why not just tell me that?" Emma asked, "What did you think I would do if I found out you had money and were using it to help kids?"

"Emma, if I told you who my father was, or that the judge was an old friend of my dad's, or that I could pay the fines with the simple signing of a check, what would you have done?" Regina asked her.

"I'd have let you go." Emma told her.

"Exactly." Regina told her.

"So you intentionally didn't pay the fines for what reason? To stay in Storybrooke and drive me insane?" Emma asked.

Regina chuckled, "At first yes. But after a while Emma it was less about driving you insane and more about wanting to get to know you because I liked you."

"I didn't lie to you Emma, I know the truth is important to you." Regina said, "But I didn't want to tell you who my father was because I didn't want to be judge by his action, by who he is."

Regina looked at her, "If you can't get passed this Emma then Henry was right and you are being stupid."

"I'm—." Emma's sentence was interrupted by the eruption of vomit that came spewing from her.

"Holy shit!" Regina said as she unlocked the cell door. She was careful where she stepped as she went to Emma who was just mumbling how sorry she was.

"Okay nasty let's get you cleaned up." Regina said as she put her arm around Emma and hauled her from the cell to the bathroom.

Regina closed the lid to the toilet and sat Emma down. "Arms up." Regina said as she helped take off her shirt. She stood up, "Can you get your pants off without any help?"

Emma shook her head and Regina helped her up and then undid the button and pulled down the zipper to her jeans.

She shimmed them down passed her ass and hips then pulled them off.

"Sit tight." Regina said as she left Emma for only a minute before returning with a garbage bag, a t-shirt, pair of shorts she'd gotten from a clothing donation box.

She threw Emma's clothes into the garbage bag and tied it as tight as she could before tossing it into the corner.

She went to the sink and wet some paper towels then wiped Emma's hands and face.

"Why are you doing this?" Emma asked as she looked at Regina.

"You know what the smell of puke does to me." Regina told her as she tossed the paper towels in the trash.

"No, why do you even care?" Emma asked, "I was such a bitch to you."

"Emma, you were a bitch to me the moment you pulled me over." Regina said as she helped Emma put on the shorts, "That hasn't stopped me from caring about you."

"It should have." Emma mumbled.

"Well if I did everything I was supposed to do I wouldn't be here with you." Regina chuckled as she watched Emma struggle trying to get her arm into the t-shirt, "And I like being here with you Emma."

"And on that note I'm going to go clean up your puke now." Regina said as she grabbed the mop and bucket and headed to the cell, "Just don't pass out and fall off the toilet while I'm gone."

"I won't make you any promises." Emma called after her.

After gagging three times and almost throwing up Regina managed to get the cell cleaned up. She helped Emma back into her cell and onto the bed before she stepped out and locked the door again.

"You don't have to lock me in." Emma told her, "It's not like I'm going to make a break for it."

"Better safe than sorry." Regina told her as she went to Emma's desk and sat down in the chair.

"Where's Henry tonight while you're out getting shitfaced?" Regina asked Emma after she hung up the phone.

"Oh shit…" Emma mumbled, "He's with Jefferson and Grace."

Regina picked up the phone again and called Jefferson. She didn't give him all the details just asked if Henry could stay the night which he said would be okay.

When she hung up the phone she saw that Emma had lied down on the bed and was now snoring.

Katherine came into the Sheriff station and saw Regina sitting at Emma's desk.

"She's asleep." Regina said quietly to Katherine as she grabbed David's chair and brought it over to where Regina was.

Katherine looked over at the cell then back at Regina, "So that's her huh?"

Regina nodded, "That's her."

Emma rolled onto her back and her snoring sounded like a motorboat puttering.

"What about Robin?" Regina asked, "Did you get him back to the Inn?"

"I couldn't get him upstairs and had to put him in the living room." Katherine told her, "So the old lady might be a little pissed off when she sees the vomit on her couch."

"Serves her right anyways." Regina said then looked over at Emma.

Katherine had never seen her friend look at anyone the way she was looking at Emma right now.

"She must be someone real special to make you want to stick around." Katherine said to her.

"She is." Regina said never taking her eyes off Emma.

Katherine stood up, "If you need anything, just call."

Regina looked up at her, "Thanks."

* * *

She sat watching Emma sleep before picking up the phone and calling the diner to order some food.

Moments later Ruby came into the office and was surprised to see Emma behind bars.

"I mean you said she was in jail but I didn't believe you." Ruby said quietly as she put the bag of food down in the desk in front of Regina.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd keep this quiet." Regina said as she gave Ruby the money for the food plus a nice tip.

"Not a problem." Ruby told her as she slipped the money into her bra then left.

She unlocked the door and went over to Emma, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Emma, wake up." She said quietly.

Emma snorted, smacked her lips and resumed snoring.

Regina shook her lightly, "Emma, come on and wake up."

Emma opened her eyes and looked around before she looked over at Regina.

"Get up I have a sandwich and coffee for you." Regina told her as she stood up.

She shut the cell door behind her before going to Emma's desk.

"How long was I out?" Emma asked as she rubbed her eyes.

"About an hour." Regina told her, "How are you feeling?"

"I feel like my head is in a vise grip right now." Emma groaned.

Regina pulled a plain turkey sandwich from the bag and grabbed a cup of coffee then went back over to the cell.

"Here. Eat something, it will help." Regina said holding out the food.

Emma stood up and went to the bars. She took the food from Regina then went and sat back down on her bed. She slowly sipped the coffee and watched as Regina stood in front of the tall cabinet and fumble through her keys.

"What are you doing?" Emma asked her.

"Which one is it?" Regina asked, "To open the cabinet?"

"The black one." Emma told her as she put her cup of coffee on the floor. She stood up and went over to the bars, "What are you doing?" She asked again.

Regina unlocked the cabinet and grabbed a pillow and blanket from inside before shutting the cabinet door. She placed the items on David's desk then left the room.

She came back only moments later rolling in the small bed that Emma had used. She looked it over trying to find out how to unfold it.

"You're staying here all night?" Emma asked, surprised.

"Yep." Regina said finally managing to unlatch the bed and open it.

"Why?" Emma asked her.

Regina went back over to Emma's desk and sat down, "Maybe I'm afraid without supervision you'll stage a jailbreak."

"Now eat your food." Regina told her as she pulled her own sandwich out of the bag, "Lights out soon."

Emma sat down on her bed and slowly ate her sandwich and sipped her coffee.

After they were done eating Regina threw away their trash then sat down on the bed and took off her boots.

"Do you have to pee?" She asked Emma who shook her head no.

Regina turned off the light and lied down on her bed.

"What happens now?" Emma asked in the dark.

The silence in the room caused Emma's ears to buzz.

"With us I mean." Emma said quietly.

"We'll talk more in the morning." Regina told her.

* * *

That night neither woman slept well. Both tossing and turning or laying quietly and staring into the darkness.

Morning couldn't come soon enough and when Emma woke she found the roll-out bed folded up and Regina gone.

She groaned as she stood up and stretched. Most of the night was a blur except for a few parts at the bar and what she and Regina had talked about.

She sat back down on her bed, head in her hands as her fingers massaged her temples.

"You look like hell, Boss."

Emma looked up to see David carrying two coffees.

"I feel like it too." Emma said as she stood up and went to the bars.

"I got you a black coffee." He said as he went to the cell and opened the door.

"Thanks." She said as she took the coffee, "Where's Regina?"

"She said she had some business to take care of but that you're free to go." David told her, "Mulan had your car dropped off out front."

Emma took a sip of her coffee before placing the cup on her desk and grabbing her keys. She drove home took a quick shower and changed before driving over to Regina's apartment.

She knocked and waited impatiently, hoping Regina was there.

Katherine opened the door instead and smiled when she saw Emma, "Good morning Sheriff."

"Morning." Emma said, "Is Regina here?"

"No, she's not." Katherine said to her, "But I can tell you where she is if you give me 5 minutes."

Emma sighed and folded her arms across her chest.

"I've met a lot of people in my life and to say Regina is one of the best is an understatement." Katherine told her, "She may wear the leather, ride her bike and seem like she has a carefree spirit but that's not all who she is."

"I know that." Emma told her.

"Do you?" Katherine asked, "Because you are so ready to throw everything away because of one small part of her, a part that has nothing to do with you."

"I don't have time for this." Emma told her, "Where is she?"

Katherine hesitated a moment, "She's at the building site near the school."

"Building site?" Emma asked confused. She thought a moment, "For the youth center right?"

Katherine nodded then gave her the address.

Emma thanked her then got into her car and drove over to the site. She spotted Regina standing by the field talking to two men.

She parked her car and got out, slowly walking towards them.

Regina caught sight of Emma out of the corner of her eye and a small smile appeared on her face for only a brief moment before her attention returned to the two men.

Emma hung back until the two men shook Regina's hand then walked over to their car and drove off.

"Just so you know, I didn't make a break for it." Emma said, "David let me out."

"How are you feeling?" Regina asked her.

"Like I got a little too drunk last night and now my head wants to split in two." Emma told her.

"What do you remember?" Regina asked.

Emma closed her eyes for a moment then opened them.

"I remember there was drinking and handcuffs. At some point there was vomiting and you cleaning me up." Emma said with an apologetic smile, "But I mostly remember what you said about your father." Emma told her.

"And I'm sorry Regina." Emma said, "I'm sorry for being crazy but you have to understand I was normal before you came into my life."

"You mean boring." Regina told her.

Emma ignored the comment, "When I found out about Aurora and Mulan I didn't do shit like this. I didn't go out and get drunk and…" She paused and gave Regina a strange look, "Wait, did I hit someone last night?"

"You most certainly did." Regina told her.

"See?" Emma said not even bothering to ask who she hit, "You did something to me, made me this crazy and impulsive person."

"I didn't do anything to you Emma." Regina said as she turned to walk back to her car.

Emma grabbed her by the arm, "No, you did."

"What did I do to you Emma besides care for you?" Regina asked.

Emma let go of Regina and looked her in the eyes, "You made me fall for you."

"Why's that such a bad thing, Emma?"

"Because I don't want to get hurt again." Emma told her.

"I can't promise that you won't get hurt again." Regina told her, "No one can."

"I wouldn't have stayed in Storybrooke if I didn't think you were worth it." Regina said, "So either you want to be with me or you don't. You take a risk and see how it all plays out or you stay safe with your heart locked away."

"But you have to know, I fell for you too Emma and I want to see how this plays out." She said, "But it's your choice."

Regina turned around and started walking to her car leaving Emma standing in the middle of the open field.

"Regina?" Emma called after her but Regina kept walking.

Emma took a few steps, "Regina wait god damn it!"

She stopped in her tracks and turned around just as Emma caught up to her.

"I don't trust easily and I know that's not your fault I just …." Emma said, "I'm trying to change. You make me want to change."

Regina stood silently in front of her.

"So please, let's start over." Emma said to her, "Give me another chance."

Emma couldn't tell what Regina was thinking. There was no expression on her face at all to give away what was going on in her mind.

"Woo me." Regina said to her.

"What?" Emma asked, confusion on her face.

"Woo me back." Regina said to her, "Isn't that how it's supposed to go? Someone hurts the other person, they break up then that person does whatever they can to win the other back?"

"You ….." Emma looked at her, head tilted slightly, "You want me to …like what? Take you out or something?"

"For starters." Regina said, her arms folded across her chest and looked at Emma.

"Unless that's too much for you." Regina said as she turned to walk away again.

Emma caught her by the elbow and stopped her.

Regina turned around, trying to hide her smile, "Yes?"

"I'll pick you up tomorrow night." Emma told her as she let go of her, "And wear something comfortable."


	15. Chapter 15

Later that day Emma picked Henry up after school and they went home.

"Where were you last night?" He asked as he sat at the dining room table to start his homework.

"I'm not going to lie to you." Emma said, "I went out, got drunk, hit someone and Regina came and hauled me off to jail to sober up."

A smile stretched across Henry's face, "Regina arrested you?"

"Yes in a manner of speaking." She told him as she sat down at the table, "But the getting completely drunk and ending up in jail thing won't happen again."

He gave her a look.

"I promise."

"Okay." He said then opened his math book.

"One more thing." She said and he looked up at her again, "I took your advice and stopped being stupid."

"Meaning?"

"We finally talked and I asked her to give me another chance." She told him.

"And?" He asked eagerly, "Is she going to?"

"I think she is." Emma told him, "I have a date with her tomorrow night and I'm hoping it goes well."

"I hope it does too." He said, "Because I like her and I like how you are when you're with her."

"And how's that?"

"Happy." He said smiling, "And more fun."

"I got to be honest with you; I like how I am with her too for exactly those two reasons." She said with a smile.

* * *

The next day Emma sat with Ruby at the sheriff station. David was out on a call so they had the place to themselves.

"I'm seriously freaking myself out Ruby." Emma told her, "I'm starting to second guess everything. What if this date doesn't go well? What if she realizes that I'm not actually all that great? What if I am just too damn boring?"

Ruby grabbed Emma by the shoulders and shook her lightly, "First of all calm down before I slap you."

She waited for Emma to take a calming breath before letting her go.

"Emma, you already know how she feels about you." Ruby said, "She's proven that by standing up to Mulan and staying in town."

"I know it's hard for you to trust but sometimes you just have to take a leap and put your faith in the other person." Ruby told her, "Have a little faith that if you both want it, things will work out."

"She's giving you a second chance." Ruby said as she leaned forward and took Emma's hand in hers, "You deserved to be loved and cared for."

"You deserve to be happy Emma." She said with a small smile.

Emma squeezed her hand, "Thank you for being such a good friend to me."

"Always." Ruby told her.

"I hate to break up such a lovely moment but I need to speak with you Sheriff."

Both women turned to see Katherine standing by the door.

Ruby looked back at Emma as if to say, 'Who's this bitch?'

Emma stood up and Ruby followed, "It's okay, this is Katherine. She's a friend of Regina's."

Katherine raised her hands, "I assure you, I come in peace."

"I'll see you later Ruby." Emma said to her friend and with a nod Ruby slipped passed Katherine and left.

Emma sat back down in her chair, "What can I do for you?"

Katherine went over to David's desk and sat down in his chair, "I come with a warning."

Emma folded her arms across her chest as she sat back in her chair, "This should be good."

"Regina is my oldest and dearest friend." Katherine said, "I love her like a sister."

"And?" Emma asked.

"And because she's family to me I will do whatever is necessary to protect her." Katherine said, "Even if that means I have to kick a cop's ass."

"Are you seriously threatening me right now?" Emma asked.

"No, Honey, I'm not threatening you." Katherine said standing up, "I'm warning you. You hurt her, I hurt you. It's as simple as that."

"I appreciate your concern." Emma said as she stood up, "But I'm not going to do anything to hurt her."

Katherine smiled, "Well then now that we've come to an understanding, I do wish you and Regina the best."

"Um, thanks." Emma said, "I guess."

Katherine smiled again, "Enjoy the rest of your night Sheriff Swan." She then turned on her heels and headed for the door.

* * *

At home Emma was going through her closet, flinging clothes over her shoulder and mumbling to herself.

"Where are you taking her?" Henry asked her.

"On a picnic."

"A picnic?" Henry asked, "Really?"

Emma held up a shirt, examined it then threw it on the bed and went back into the closet, "Yeah it's… we …" She sighed and looked over at him, "I know it's corny but it's the best I could come up with."

He walked over, reached into the closet, grabbed a light blue sweater and handed it to her, "Wear this with your dark blue jeans and brown suede boots."

Emma took the sweater from him and looked at him.

"Just have fun." He told her before leaving her to change.

* * *

Emma sat in her car outside Regina's place for a good ten minutes. Her hands were on the wheel and she was staring straight ahead.

"I think she's talking to herself."

"What? No." Regina said as she nudged her friend out of the way and pried back the curtain to look out the window.

She saw Emma in her car, lips moving and hands clenching the wheel.

Regina let go of the curtain and turned to her friend, "What did you say to her?"

"I told her if she hurt you I'd bury her body in the field where the youth center is being built." Katherine told her.

Regina's mouth fell open and Katherine laughed.

"Oh relax will you?" She said, "It was nothing like that."

Katherine opened the curtain to peek at Emma again, "Go finish getting ready and I'll handle this."

Regina watched as Katherine walked up to Emma's car before she went back into the bathroom and hurried to finish getting ready.

A light rap on the passenger side window startled Emma and she looked over to see Katherine peering into the window with a smile on her face.

Katherine opened the door and slipped into the passenger seat.

"So, whatcha doing?" Katherine asked casually.

"Sitting here contemplating the meaning of life."

"Well once you get that figured out why don't you come on in?" Katherine said to her.

"Yeah sure thing." Emma said.

Katherine reached over and put a hand on Emma's arm, "She's waiting for you, so don't take too long."

Without another word Katherine got out of the car and shut the door.

Emma took in a few deep breathes before finally getting out of the car and walking to Regina's door. She hesitated for a second before knocking.

Katherine opened the door and Emma sighed.

"One of these days I'm going to knock and it's gonna be Regina who opens the door." Emma said to her.

"Oh Regina didn't tell you?" Katherine asked.

Emma raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I'm moving in with her." She said.

"Stop being an ass." Regina said as she came up behind Katherine and shooed her away.

She smiled at Emma, "Hi."

"Hi." Emma said back.

"So you two have a good time." Katherine said then looked at Emma, "I want her home at 11 and not a minute later."

"Shut up." Regina said slapping her friend's shoulder before going out the door.

* * *

Emma parked her car by the empty field and they got out.

"Why are we at my build site?" Regina asked as they walked.

"So I know simple probably isn't what you're used to." Emma said, "But this is how I woo."

Regina stopped in her tracks as she saw candles lighting a pathway to a table set up in the middle of the field.

"What did you do?" Regina asked her.

Emma linked her arm through Regina's and led her down the path, "Just a little romantic dinner."

Regina looked at the candles as they walked.

"They're battery powered." Emma told her with a smile, "I couldn't risk real ones blowing out."

The table was set up with a red table cloth, candles and a small vase with a rose. Dinner was already set up out for them.

"I had a little help." Emma said as she pulled out Regina's chair for her.

Regina sat down and Emma pushed her in then sat down across from her.

"It's nothing fancy." Emma said, "Just lasagna and a green salad."

"It looks delicious." Regina said as Emma opened the wine and poured Regina and herself a glass.

Regina picked up her glass and was about to take a sip but Emma stopped her.

"I'd like to propose a toast."

Regina put her glass down.

"I really disliked you when I first met you…" Emma started.

"This is how you woo me?" Regina asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Let me finish." Emma said then cleared her throat.

She looked down at the table before her eyes returned to Regina's.

"You pushed my buttons, pissed me off and called me out on all my shit." Emma said, "You were probably the most frustrating human being I have ever met and I work with David."

They both chuckled.

"You've challenged me, defended me and cared for me." Emma said, "And the time we were apart, when I was too stubborn to see what you really meant to me was very difficult."

"These last few months haven't been easy for us and I can't promise that there won't be times where we won't want to kill each other." Emma said, "But Regina please believe me when I say, I'm sorry for everything and I hope you can forgive me because…."

She paused as she looked deep into Regina's eyes, "I love you Regina, I really do."

Regina's eyes filled with tears. She sniffed and cleared her throat, "I thought you were gonna take your time, butter me up with a few dates. You know, buy me candy and flowers….."

"I could do that if you want." Emma said, "But I don't want to waste any more time. I need you to know how I feel about you right now."

"I need you to know that there's no turning back for me. That I want to be with you and I'm not going anywhere." Emma told her.

"But I also need to know if you want this." She said, "If you want me."

A small grin appeared on Regina's lips. She reached her hand out across the table and waited for Emma to place her hand in hers and when she did Regina gave her hand a little squeeze.

"I'm here Emma." She said, "And I'm not going anywhere any time soon."

Regina leaned across the table and Emma met her half way. They shared a kiss before resting back in their chairs.

"That was quite a toast." Regina said.

"Well … yeah." Emma said smiling as she picked up her wine glass.

She was about to take a sip when Regina stopped her.

"I love you too Emma." She said, "From the very moment you slapped the cuffs on me."

* * *

The next morning Emma woke with Regina wrapped around her naked body.

She smiled as her eyes caught sight of the handcuffs that were still cuffed to Regina's headboard.

Emma was so thankful that Katherine had gone back to her hotel room and Henry spent the night at Jefferson's.

Regina let out a little snort as she shifted in her sleep.

Emma kissed Regina's forehead as she ran her fingers lightly up and down Regina's arm.

"Ready for round 2?" Regina mumbled.

"Round 2?" Emma asked, "I think we passed round 2 a few times last night."

"Mmmm." Regina said as she lifted her head and kissed Emma before pulling back, "So we did."

"I want to do this every morning." Emma told her.

"Have morning sex?" Regina asked.

Emma snorted, "Wake up with you lying next to me."

"Ah." Regina said, "Yeah that does sound kind of nice."

Emma pushed Regina onto her back then straddled her hips, "So does morning sex."

* * *

In the following weeks Emma and Regina relationship grew stronger. They challenged, frustrated and loved each other and they couldn't have been happier.

Regina strolled into the Sheriff station, a smile on her face, "So where's Deputy Dimwit?"

Emma turned in her chair and looked at her, "Do you Google names to call him before you stop by?"

"I do." Regina said then asked, "Are you busy?"

"Does policing a town count as busy?"

"No." Regina said then held out her hand, "Let's go."

"What? Where?" Emma asked.

"Where ever the open road takes us." Regina told her as Emma took her hand.

They went outside and Regina's motorcycle sat waiting for them.

Regina swung her leg over her bike, sat down and waited for her.

Emma got on the bike, "You have to go slow okay? No speeding." Emma put on the extra helmet Regina handed her.

Regina smiled as she put on her helmet, "When you're on my bike, you're not sheriff. You're Emma, my girlfriend."

Regina started up the bike drowning out any protest Emma had.

"Hold on tight!" Regina yelled over the rumble of the bike.

Emma's grip tightened around Regina's waist and with a smile she hit the throttle and took off.

They rested at a stop sign and Emma shout, "I get it now. I see why you love this."

"Wait till we hit open road." Regina said.

"Let's see how fast this baby can go!" Emma challenged.

"You got it." Regina said and she hit the throttle.

* * *

Along a stretch of interstate just outside of Storybrooke David sat in his car sipping his coffee and eating a bear claw.

A motorcycle and its two occupants raced by.

David bumbled around, spilling coffee in his lap. He yelped, tossed his bear claw aside then started the car and took off after the motorcycle.

Blue and red lights lit up behind them but Regina never slowed down.

"David to base. I have a motorcycle exceeding the speed limit and I am in pursuit." He said over the radio, "Sheriff please advise."

He raced after the motorcycle and waited for a response, "Sheriff, do you copy?"

The motorcycle finally pulled over and David pulled in behind it. He got out of his car and sauntered up to the bike.

"Do you have any clue how fast you were going?" He asked as he started writing in his ticket book.

"Not fast enough if you managed to catch up to me Deputy Dillhole." Regina said as she took off her helmet.

"Ms. Mills!" David said surprised to see her. He grabbed his radio, "Sheriff Swan's not going to like this one bit."

David almost fainted when Emma took off the helmet, "Sheriff Swan might not like it but Emma loves it."

"But… you…she…" David looked back and forth between the two women.

"Easy David, just breathe." Emma told him.

He took in a deep breath and exhaled. He ripped the ticket out of his book and held it out.

"I'm not taking that." Regina said.

"Oh yes you are." Emma told her as she took the ticket from David, "I'll see you back at the station David."

He gave her a nod then quickly went to his car and headed back to the station.

"So you can pay the fine or…." Emma smiled, "I'll see you in handcuffs."

Regina snatched the ticket from her and smiled as she ripped it up and let the pieces flutter to the ground.


End file.
